Fleeing the Shadows
by tavia454
Summary: Gift fic for dragonlady222. After witnessing his grandpa's brutal slaying, Yugi Motou is thrust into a world of terror and deceit, his only ally an antagonistic cop. YxY AU
1. Chapter 1

A small teen, home schooled for as long as he can remember, his family moving from place to place for reasons only his grandfather knows, is forced to watch as his only living relative is killed for not revealing his whereabouts. Stuck in a hidden room, Yugi witnesses the attackers torturing his grandfather for the only info he is unwilling to give. When the murder is reported, Yugi ends up in the care of an antagonistic, world weary undercover officer, whose family was murdered years before. The longer they are on the run from crooked cops, and an insane political system, the more they fall for each other. Will they be able to figure out who's behind the diabolical plot before Yugi is caught? Or will they both die in vain?

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_September 28, 1995_

"Oh really? …Pity, he was quite likable. Oh well. Kill them. Make it look like an accident; the storm should cover up any undue noise. Oh, and fix it so that I'll become the boy's guardian. Yes. We can't have anything bad happening to the child before he's old enough for the ritual. Right. Now do it." Setting the receiver back down on its base, he folded his hands and leaned his chin on top of them, looking back out into the dark, moonless sky. The storm was rolling in quickly tonight. Good.

It truly was a pity. Nice guy, nice family, nice little boy. A very nice little boy. So bright, so worthy of the ritual. Never had he come across that much power, that much brightness from one little soul. Too bad the boy's father suspected him; it would have been nice to play with them for a while before doing what he had to. They would have had years of fun together, the boy was so young right now. Oh well, he had other toys to play with. If any of this came out, he would be ruined. Him and a lot of other…powerful people. Next time he would be more careful before he approached one of the worthy, the pure. One of the light. No one could ever know of his intentions.

Later that same night:

"Do you really think we ought to be doing this? Really Akim. What if he already knows?" The fear evident in Iori's voice made her usually low tone almost shrill. "I mean, he seems to know everything."

"We'll be okay, honey, even if we have to go into hiding. And he doesn't suspect a thing right now. He doesn't know that we've set up this meeting. No one but the man that we're meeting with even knows. He mentioned something about some of the cops maybe being paid off. That's why we're doing this low key. After this gets out though, Keith said that we will probably need to leave. That means your father too. But at least we'll be okay. We'll be alive. Yugi will live." The confidence in her husband's voice reassured her.

Iori turned to look out the car's window, watching the lightning as it soared across the pitch black sky, illuminating the shadows for a brief second before the world was plunged into darkness once again. The thunder coming so soon afterwards signaled another lightning strike somewhere close by. Akim seemed certain that the man he was accusing had no idea that they even suspected anything. She supposed that since the officer they had talked to earlier knew of what they spoke, and had in fact set up a meeting with them, that everything would work out. At least someone believed her husband. This man that Akim was accusing was very rich, very powerful…and very evil. And it stood to reason that he hadn't been caught because he was feeding someone's pocket book.

The brunette shivered delicately, rubbing her hands over her shoulders to warm her body. She had only come to this meeting to lend her support to her husband, leaving their only son in the care of her father. What she really wanted to do was take her only child and run. Hide out in a far corner of the earth from this terrible evil. And to think, there were others involved. Just the thought made her hair stand on end. To do that to teenagers, just children really. It was a horrible mental image. Her son would make it past the age that these people deemed right for this cruel, deadly ritual. She would make sure of it. But until he hit the age of eighteen, she would always be jumping at shadows, afraid they might bite.

"What the hell?"

Iori was torn out of her thoughts by her husband's cry as he slammed hard on the brakes, bringing the car to an immediate halt in the middle of the bridge. Looking out the windshield, she saw that the bridge they were crossing was blocked at the end by no less than eight different vehicles. And on the top of one of them was a man aiming something directly at their car.

"Say goodnight." Raphael laughed as he pushed the button on the small remote-like device.

There wasn't even time to put the car into reverse. After the initial explosion in front of their Benz, there was a horrible rumbling sound, like an earthquake, beneath their car. Iori screamed as the bridge gave way, sending their car plummeting into the turbulent river more than 100 feet below.

Raphael jumped down off the roof of the Hummer. Sauntering over to the edge of what used to be the bridge to town. "Well, that's that. Keith, call the boss. He should have our target by now. Men, move out. Cover your tracks. We don't want the idiotic press to think this was anything more than a tragic accident." Stooping down, he picked up a piece of charred metal, threw it off the edge of the drop off and walked away as fat raindrops began falling from the sky, helping to erase the evidence of foul play.

Elsewhere in the town of Vale:

"Grandpa, are the bad men gone?" A small voice whispered.

A tug on his pant leg. Siamun shushed the child. They had to be very quiet right now. It wasn't safe yet. There were at least five men, from what he had counted earlier. And god knew how many more were roaming their property, searching for them while they cowered in the thorny bushes. He was lucky that Yugi understood the need to be very quiet. But then again, the small boy who was currently trembling against his leg understood a whole lot more than he should have at his young age. Some would have called the boy gifted. He wasn't sure that was the right word, or at least sense of the word. Yes, Yugi was gifted, but his gift was of understanding, of knowing things before he should. Not saying that he wasn't smart. The kid was bordering on brilliant, and yes, Siamun was biased. But his being gifted was meant in a totally different sense of that word.

The old man was broken out of his reverie by the shrill beeping of a cell phone not five feet from where they were standing. One of the men was very close to their hiding place in the prickly bushes at the rear of their house. Closer than he had realized. The thought that this man could sneak up on him so quietly scared Siamun stiff, his hair standing on end. What if he had heard Yugi?

"Keith. Are you reporting good news?...Oh goodie. Wonderful…No, I'm afraid that they were able to get away for now. No worries my boy. They'll surface somewhere soon. We have everything being watched right now. They have no money, no place to hide. They'll never make it out of town. And the boy, he is school age, they'll have records of family. We'll send out a bulletin…Right then. Goodbye." The shadowed figure tucked the phone back into the clip at his waist and moved further towards the rear of the house.

The old man let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. The man hadn't heard them. That voice, it sounded eerily familiar. He had definitely heard that voice somewhere before. But for the life of him, he didn't know where.

As the shadowed figure drew completely away from their hiding place, Siamun heard a small sniffle from the child attached to his leg. "Shhh. Just a few more minutes Yugi, please." He whispered to the child.

"That man killed mommy…daddy. I told them I din't like him. And he killed them. He's a bad man."

The small whisper floated up to him. The old man could hear the tears clogging his grandson's voice. He hugged the slight figure tighter to him as they waited for what seemed like eternity. Tears rolled down his weathered face. For a moment he wondered how the boy knew what happened. But that was Yugi; he just knew things like that.

The two stayed in the bushes until the sun began to make an appearance in the early hours of dawn. They wouldn't be hidden for much longer. But then again, the leader of the men who invaded their home last night didn't seem to be worried at all. He was pretty sure that he would have his hands on them soon enough. Obviously, he had never run up against a determined Siamun Hitori before.

As the rays of the sun invaded their hiding place, the duo made their way painfully out of the bushes, taking care to be as quiet as possible. The man may have been gone, but he had left an escort outside their house. The blue car sitting in plain sight, men with their eyes trained on the silent house waiting for any sign of movement through the open curtains. A quick peek from around the corner of the house told Siamun all he needed to know.

The old man took his grandson's hand, and together they made their way away from their home. Taking one last look at the house he had raised his family in, Siamun nodded to himself. He owed it to Iori and Akim to keep their son alive. If Yugi said that they were dead, then he believed it. The name Solomon Motou had a nice ring to it. It was his great grandfather's name. And now it became his. He wouldn't complicate Yugi's life by choosing another name; the boy was already used to his own. And thanks to new age, names like his were commonplace. There would be time enough for tears later. Right now, it was time to disappear for a while.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_Domino, Ohio – Twelve years later_

"Yug, man, where ya been? We've been waiting all afternoon for you." Jou motioned his smaller friend over to where the group was playing one of the arcade's many racing games. Throngs of teenagers were milling around the area, each waiting for a turn at the popular games.

"Sorry Jou. Grandpa made me finish all of my homework first. I swear you guys have it made going to a public school. At least each subject means a different teacher." Seventeen year old Yugi Motou huffed in frustration, blowing an annoying lock of blonde hair out of his face.

His friends were so lucky. They got to hang around other people their own age. And have recess, and spring break. He didn't have these things, his grandfather taught him at home. Telling him that there was too much violence in the public schools. That was his reason for keeping Yugi at home. And all the protesting in the world didn't help the small teen's cause one bit.

But now Yugi was old enough to enroll in college courses. He had argued long and hard to enroll in the online courses that were coming up this semester. In the end his grandfather broke down and let him sign up. The old man knew he couldn't keep the teen from going for his dream. The dream of some day being an archaeologist. It was all Yugi had wanted to be ever since he was a little boy.

"So, did he let you sign up for the classes?" Honda asked his small friend.

"God I hope so. It'll be so awesome to have the chance to talk to you at school. Instead of just on the weekends." Anzu gushed, giving Yugi a small wink.

Yugi ducked his head before giving a broad smile, "Yep. I did that last week. It took two whole days of fighting, but he finally caved. He won't let me do it at the school, but I'll get to be in the same class as you. We can email notes or something like that."

Yugi had met his small group of friends not too long after he and his grandfather had moved to Domino two years ago. To date, this was the longest they had stayed in one place. It may have had something to do with his grandfather's failing health. His old man just wasn't able to do what he used to. So the small teen got to hang out and have friends of his own this time, instead of making a friend and moving not too long afterwards. The group even studied together, since they were all taking the same subjects.

Yugi was pretty proud of the fact that he was able to enroll in the college courses, even if they were online. His friends were in those classes too. Even though they were only seniors in high school, their academic records were outstanding. So the high school counselor thought they might benefit from some of the local college's online courses. When they brought the idea up to Yugi, he worked on his grandfather until the man caved in to his wishes.

The teens chatted as they played some of the new games that the arcade had just set up. Being as it was a Friday night, they had a little extra time before they had to go home. As they got bored of the games, the foursome found their way towards the small eating area in the arcade.

"So, are you ever going to answer me, Yugi?" Anzu posed the question that Yugi had been dreading ever since he got to the arcade.

"Eh? Oh right, sorry Anzu. I-I don't really know. I mean, I like you and all. You're really pretty, but…are you really sure you want to go out with me? I don't even look like I'm seventeen." Color rose to Yugi's face as he tried everything he could think of to fend off the girl's advances. It wasn't that he didn't like her; he just didn't think they were well suited for each other.

She was tall, even taller than average, and sometimes she could be loud and argumentative. Yugi, on the other hand, barely topped the five foot mark, and was somewhat shy and withdrawn. Not to mention that he had the sneaking suspicion that he was drawn more towards those of the…male persuasion. The petite teen had a feeling that she was only interested in him because he was the cute new kid, as far as new kids went in a town that had been forgotten by all but those who lived there.

And he was cute. Even Yugi had to admit it. With his wide, striking amethyst eyes, pouty lips that just begged to be kissed and flawless, porcelain skin, the teen seemed to gather admirers wherever his small family made their home. Here was no exception. That was how he met his current group of friends. They had struck up a conversation while in the town's bookstore, waiting for the latest Harry Potter book to be released.

The shy teen fiddled with the lock of blonde hair that was hanging in his face as he considered his taller female friend. "I just don't think it would work. I'm enough of an oddity around here that people would pick on you just for being with me."

Jou butted into the conversation when he returned with the group's food. "Are you still trying to get him into bed with you Anzu? Shame. You know he's more interested in the guys. Isn't that right Yug? And you are not an outcast. If anything those losers are the outcasts. I swear, just because you don't go to school with us doesn't give them the right to pick on you!"

Bright color rose to Yugi's face at his friend's first comment. "I-I…how, I mean…oh god, how could you tell?" He hid his face in his hands, attempting, and failing, to bring the blush under control.

"No offense Yug, but it's been obvious to me the whole time. You kind of have this emo thing going on. I know the hair is natural, but the goth look, the chains. Well…that and the fact that you went totally red when we were watching that movie and Brad Pitt was naked." Jou ruffled his friend's naturally tricolor hair, making it stand on end even more than it did before. If he was honest with himself, Jou would have understood how he knew that Yugi was gay. But it was hard to tell your best friend that you had feelings for him that were more than platonic.

"I-I didn't realize that I was that obvious." Yugi smoothed his hair back into its crimson tipped black spikes before fiddling once again with the lock of blonde that always fell into his eyes. "And you guys are okay with that? I mean, up until this past year, I wasn't even sure if I was okay with it."

"Sure. What's not to be okay with? You are who you are, right?" Jou commented.

"Who's who?" Honda sat down next to Jou. "What are you guys plotting now?"

"Who said we're plotting something this time? I just said that it was okay for Yug to be gay." Jou responded.

"Oh, yeah. It's fine Yugi. Really." Honda started munching on a piece of pizza that he snagged from his blonde friend when he was distracted. That stunt earned him a punch in the arm from Jou. And they were off, arguing about anything and everything they could think of.

"Anzu?" Yugi turned to his friend who had been silent through the whole conversation, ignoring the ruckus in the opposite booth.

"Oh yeah. I guess. I think I'm just a little disappointed, is all. I guess it's true what they say. All the good ones are taken or gay." She gave a small smile that never reached her eyes.

Yugi grabbed her hand, and smiled back. At least now he didn't need to worry about having to 'come out'. Maybe things would work out here. He would have felt really bad if they were no longer friends over this. These three were the best friends he had ever had in his life.

They sat at the table munching on pizza, and discussing some of the movies that were due to come out later in the week until it was time to go home. Anzu went one way with Honda, waving goodbye to Jou and Yugi as they each went in separate directions.

The whole way home, the small teen was lost in thought. How had they known before he said anything? Was he really that obvious? Maybe that was why those other kids were picking on him last week. Shaking his head at his thoughts, he quickened his pace. At this rate, he would be late. It was already dark and his grandfather said to be home when the streetlights came on.

Rounding the corner, he saw the small house that he and his grandfather called home for the past two years. It wasn't much to look at, but it was neat and tidy. He had a room all to himself this time. And being as old as their house was, there were plenty of nooks and crannies to explore when he was bored. His grandfather found one just off of the pantry built into the kitchen when they first moved in. It looked to be a place to hide runaway slaves back in the 1800s. And it may have been for all he knew. The house was definitely old enough.

Opening the door from the front porch, the small teen yelled "I'm home grandpa!"

"Oh good. I was getting worried. It's well past dark, and it's getting ready to storm." Solomon called out from his place in the kitchen.

'Now how did I miss that little fact?' Yugi thought, shuddering. He hated thunderstorms with a passion. Had ever since he was little. But why he hated them was something that he didn't know. His memories from that time were hazy at best. Like he had tried really hard to forget. It was sad, he couldn't even remember what his parents looked like, and they had died in a terrible accident when he was five. But since the first house that he lived in had caught fire, he had no pictures of them to refresh his failed memory.

Yugi made his way to the living room, turning the television to the weather channel, just in case. After making sure they were in no danger of having a tornado, he went to help his grandfather in the kitchen. As he helped the old man with the dishes, the doorbell rang. A loud boom of thunder made the storm's presence known, lightening flashing ominously.

"You stay here. I'll be right back." Solomon warned Yugi with a glance. It was always this way. Yugi didn't even question it anymore. Just one of his grandfather's many quirks. He was never to answer the door, or be in sight when the door opened. The small teen just did what he was told. He could still remember the beating he got the first, and last time he answered the door. This time, though, Yugi had a bad feeling about tonight. Maybe it had something to do with the storm that had started raging a couple of moments ago. But he didn't think so. The power flickered briefly as lightning touched down somewhere close.

After a couple of moments, Solomon returned to the room.

"What was that about?" Yugi set the washed glass in the strainer to dry. Something didn't feel right about tonight. Yugi could just feel a malevolent presence settle over the house. And it was causing his hands to shake. It was just a feeling though, so he wouldn't bother his grandfather with it. The old man had enough to worry about, what with the way their neighbors were acting lately.

The old man shrugged. "Just the cops asking if we had reported a disturbance."

The neighbors next door had been arguing all week. And some of those arguments had turned physical, so it wasn't anything new to have cops in the neighborhood. The duo returned to their work. But before the last dish was set in the strainer, the doorbell rang again. Solomon huffed and grouched before going into the other room. This time Yugi went to see if he could eavesdrop on the conversation. He just couldn't get the bad feeling out of his head; it was like a physical presence. The small teen watched as his grandfather peered out the peephole, and turned around, running back into the room as fast as his short legs could carry him. When he saw his grandson, he panicked, grabbing a hold of Yugi's arm and propelling him through the living room and back towards the kitchen, almost knocking the teen on his ass.

"Grandpa…what?"

"Go, go and don't come out until I say its okay." The old man pushed him around the corner and just about threw him into the hidden nook, slamming the door after him and locking it before piling things on the other side.

The pounding from the front door was even louder as Solomon struggled to make it back into the living room, yelling as loud as he could. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Can't an old man even go to the bathroom in peace?"

Yugi inched closer to the tiny hole at the bottom of the wall that made it possible to see into the living room without being seen. Even Solomon didn't know that was there. But the petite teen had made it a point to inspect every inch of the place that they would call home, when he first moved in. It kept him from being bored. Putting his eye to the peep hole, Yugi watched as his grandfather opened the door.

"Yes?" Solomon decided to play senile. He didn't think it was going to work this time, but it was worth a shot. His grandson was worth trying anything, just to keep him safe.

He was knocked backwards by a fist to the face. "We know who you are old man. And you're going to tell us where the boy is." A tall man in a police uniform stalked in after him. Solomon crawled backwards, inching away from the man. That was unexpected.

"What boy? I live here by myself." He cried out indignantly, blood running down his chin.

A second and third man entered the house, the last one shutting the door behind them. "Don't play dumb. We know he's here in this town. The records said so. We've been looking for him for a long time." The second man brought out a wicked looking knife and made his way towards the old man.

Solomon tried once more. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"We know he's here. He enrolled in classes a couple of days ago. Now are you going to tell us so we can make this quick, or are we going to have to draw this out." The man in uniform snarled, grabbing a hold of the old man and connecting a fist to his jaw.

This time Solomon gave up the pretense. "You want him? He's gone for the week. And without a signal from me, he won't be back. I thought once he reached eighteen that this would be over!"

"Nope, you were misled from the start! The best age for a sacrifice is fifteen to twenty, and he's ripe for the picking. So tell us where he is, or we'll make this as painful as possible!"

"Fuck off and die a slow, agonizing death." Solomon retorted, gearing up for the fight. The old man wasn't going down without a struggle. And he would never tell them where his grandson was. He knew he was outnumbered, his only hope was that Yugi wouldn't be able to hear what he knew was going to happen.

"I knew you would say that. You first!" The second man grinned eerily, showing missing teeth. "I was so hoping we would get to play."

The other two cackled evilly. This was going to be fun. Almost as fun as the rituals. It didn't take the three of them long to subdue the old man. After tying him to a chair, they began their work, heedless of his cries and pleas. Every once in a while one of them would ask if he was ready to tell them where the boy was. When he refused to answer, the torment continued.

Yugi couldn't look away. He watched as the three men tortured his grandfather, trying to get him to reveal his whereabouts, committing their faces to memory. But no matter what they did to the old man, he wouldn't say anything more than what he thought of them and their practices. For hours this went on, the old man's screams becoming more and more animalistic as time went on. Yugi finally had to turn away, his stomach crawling as he sobbed quietly, covering his mouth with his hands. He didn't even recognize the being in the other room anymore. By the time he heard the gunshot, he was glad, for it put his grandfather out of his misery. After what they had just put him through, there was no way he could have lived for much longer. And he did it to save Yugi.

Slumping to the floor, Yugi tried to regain his breath. He couldn't breathe. Tears rolling down his face, he tried to recall what he had done to bring this on his grandfather. The only thoughts that greeted him were hazy and shadow filled. It was as if something was blocking his memories. He let out a sob, and then covered his mouth again. The men were still here, in the house, rummaging around for signs of where he was. He could hear them; they weren't even trying to be quiet. They didn't think he was here. At least something was going his way. Maybe.

"That's it, times up!" One of the men called out. "Someone was bound to hear that gun. He'll turn up soon. We'll just lean on his friends. Someone had to know him."

The trio trouped out of the house, leaving Yugi to his misery, locked in the closet. Shivering, the teen drew his legs to his chest; heaving sobs wracked his small frame. He couldn't believe what had happened tonight. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be. His grandfather was not lying out there in a deep pool of his own blood. He wasn't. But there was no denying the truth. His grandfather had died a brutal death, because of him. He turned on the small flashlight that he always carried with him when it stormed, setting it on the ground. He hated the dark as much as he hated storms, and tonight there were both.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	2. Chapter 2

This is the second story in my reposts, so I shall try to keep it in order. For this reason I may skip a week or two here and there since this story has less chapters to it than the others. Thank you for reading. Enjoy!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Hey! You can't go in there!" One of the uniformed officers yelled as he scrambled to catch up to the man that had ducked under the yellow crime scene tape. It had been bad enough to try and stabilize the perimeter while it was raining, now there was mud everywhere, and the young officer would be damned if he let anyone mess up what was not yet processed.

Shadi barely blinked as he flipped his FBI badge at the officer. "I can, and here's my proof. Now move before I have you reported to your superior."

The man all but jumped out of his way, eyeing the badge with distaste. 'Rookies' Shadi thought to himself in exasperation. 'They shouldn't be allowed at scenes like this.'

The Egyptian made his way slowly up the stairs to the scene of the murder, nothing escaping his icy blue eyes. A muddy foot print, rendered almost useless from the rain, still clinging to the step, and a scrap of blue fabric fluttered from a splinter on the railing. Hadn't anyone been out here to collect the evidence before it was blown away? None of it was even marked yet.

His latex gloves already in place, he pushed through the half-open door and snapped at the two cops inside the door to take a lunch break for an hour. He needed to see the scene as it was before anyone else got there and messed things up, destroying any other precious evidence. More often than not, the ones who ended up losing his cases were, in fact, young CSI's and detectives in training. They had cost him too many times, and he'd be damned if they were going to cost him this scene.

"On whose orders? I'm the one giving orders around here."

Shadi eyed the belligerent man before him. This must be the lead detective. The burly old man didn't look like much with his rumpled sport coat and his smudged ID badge, but his eyes were sharp, and his hands were steady. Shadi suppressed a sigh; he had no desire to fight with the man over jurisdiction. He just wanted to see if this scene could be tied in with what his men had been investigating for over ten years.

"Isis called me in. She said there were similarities between this case and one we are currently working on." Shadi replied flatly as he flipped his badge out again.

The big man stared at it before he heaved a sigh, scratching his bald head. "FBI, huh? Look, I…Welcome aboard. To tell you the truth, I think this is more than our small force can handle. Not that I'm letting you take all the credit, but we can really use some help here. This scene is a total cluster fuck. And the guys I have trying to secure the perimeter are whining because the rain has washed away a lot of evidence."

Shadi's eyes widened at the comment. This was unusual! Normally this was where territory disputes came in, and it degenerated into a glorified pissing match. Being wise enough not to look a gift horse in the mouth, the agent said smoothly, "That's fine. If this turns out to be what we're thinking it is… this has been going on for over twenty years. Your chances of catching this person or persons is virtually nil on your small town budget. It's a slim enough chance for us to catch them, even with our resources. But I need to see the scene before it gets trampled."

"The victim is in the living room. No one's even been in there other than to verify that he's dead. The house belongs to an old guy named Solomon Motou, I can't tell if that's him or not. He is totally unidentifiable from a visual standpoint. He does have some rather odd markings carved into his skin, though. We were just called in about half an hour ago. Someone thought they heard a gunshot. CSI's only been here for about 5 minutes. I called Isis the moment I saw the guy. This isn't an ordinary murder; you'll see what I mean. I remember hearing about a case like this once."

"You called Isis?" Shadi barely managed to conceal his surprise. "Thank you. I really appreciate this chance to see a fresh scene. Normally all we have to go on is photographs."

Shadi weighed his next words carefully, before speaking. "If you could keep this place clear for about an hour or so, I'd really appreciate it. I'd like to get a feel for the place, for the victim. And maybe for the people who did this. I need to be alone to do that. I promise not to mess anything up."

The big man thought for a moment, tapping his chin. "I'll wait outside for you to be done. But there ain't no way I'm leaving the sight of a murder unattended. Even for you, Mr. Shadi. And yes, I've heard of all the cases you and your team has helped to solve. That's why I called. It's just that I'm responsible for what happens here."

The agent ushered the big man to the door without trying to look like he was pushing him out of the house. "Again, thank you…"

"My name's Gary. I'm the only detective in this town at the moment, budget cuts and all." The big man held his hand out.

Shadi clasped the man's large hand. He had a feeling he could trust this man. Sometimes it paid off to have the certain talents he had. He handed the guy a card and told him to call him and him alone if he had any more news. Gary just grunted before turning away.

As the big man lumbered out of the house, the agent looked around the small entry way. It was empty of anything personal. That was odd. He made his way into the living room, careful to not step on any of the blood that was coating the walls and the floor in macabre patterns. There was an awful lot of blood, just like at his other scenes. Even the ceiling was marked with the crimson liquid. He didn't want to look closely at the victim yet. He needed other information first. He could already see the cruel symbol that was carved into the man's flesh from where his was standing.

He took a quick look around the room. It had all the comforts of a home. There was a decent sized television on a stand, a stereo, a couple of books on a shelf, comfortable, if slightly worn furniture. But upon closer inspection, he noticed what was missing. This house had no pictures, no knickknacks, nothing personal to tell who had made it a home. That in itself was unusual.

The detective made his way to the kitchen, it was the same way. No objects of a personal nature anywhere. There were only a handful of dishes drying on the strainer, and no more in the cupboard. Whoever owned this house didn't feel safe enough to make it a home. It was the same through every room he looked, as though he stood in a hotel cottage rather than someone's home. There was even a sparsely packed suitcase in the first bedroom he came across.

As he opened the door to the last room on the top floor, Shadi's eyes widened. This room had an owner. But more importantly, this room belonged to a teenager. Lopsided posters hung from the wall, laundry was scattered across the floor, and broken CDs were strewn across the bed. None of it indicated a person the age of the victim. There was a second person living in this house. He could tell it was a young boy by the pictures and memorabilia scattered around the room.

The school books strewn over a worn out desk told him that the kid was at least in high school. He dug around the room a little more, realizing that the room wasn't trashed because the kid was a slob. Someone was looking for something. All the other rooms he had been in were immaculate. This one was a disaster! The bed even looked like it had been tossed about. Whatever they were looking for, it was his bet they didn't find it.

Shadi made his way back down the stairs and into the living room. He gave the room a very thorough once over, looking for something that he might have overlooked earlier. Pulling a book with an oddly lettered cover off the shelf, he leafed through the pages. This was a weird book for an old man to have lying around, almost occult-ish. He tucked the tome into his coat for later as he glanced at the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. A quick movement had caught the corner of his eye while he was perusing the book. Looking closer, he found the source of his distraction. Just a reflection of the light from what he had thought was a blemish at the bottom of the wall, right next to the TV stand. He walked slowly towards the wall focusing on the blemish, there it was again. Just that flash of movement.

The agent got onto his knees and pressed his face up against the wall, peering into what seemed to be another room. This one tiny and dark, lit only by a dim light, if what he was seeing could be believed. Then came another quick movement. Someone was pacing inside the wall. Up this close to the wall, the agent could hear small noises – quiet sobbing, from the sounds of it. Shadi resisted the urge to take in a breath. He didn't want to startle the person in that hidden room. If it was the perpetrator, he didn't want him to take flight. If it wasn't, well that opened up a whole new slew of possibilities. He was almost excited.

He moved quietly to the kitchen, looking for the entrance to the room. In the corner of the pantry, there were all sorts of things piled up against the wall. Like someone was trying to hide something. With a smirk, he began to quietly remove the food and cleaning supplies that were blocking what he figured was the entrance to that room. If the room was blocked from this side, he could almost guarantee that the person stuck inside wasn't one of the murderers. That meant he had a witness! A real live witness to the brutality of the men who he was chasing. The detective almost couldn't contain his exhilaration at the thought.

Unfortunately, when he moved the last item, a large mixing bowl, from in front of the entrance to the room, it fell to the floor and shattered. So much for surprise, he thought ruefully as he kicked down the separated panel that served as the door to the room…

Yugi was trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now. His grandfather was lying dead in a room not ten feet from where he was pacing back and forth, trying to relieve some of the tension in his small frame. He knew it wasn't safe to break down yet. There were still people in the house. They had come not long after the first set of men had left. So the diminutive teen bit down on his fist, drawing blood, to keep himself quiet. His body gave a shudder, and he slid back down to the floor, curling up into a ball, sobbing quietly.

He heard raised voices in the outer room and peeked out of his little hole in the wall. Seeing that one of the men had on a uniform, he shrank back away from the sight. Then there was silence for a while and he peeked again. This time there was a man standing in the middle of the room, totally ignoring his grandfather's mutilated body that was lying a few feet away. He scooted back again, turning away to pace the small confines of the bare room, wrapping his arms around his chest. Just wishing this were all a nightmare, not unlike the ones he'd had before.

Repeating in his head, over and over 'it's a bad dream, it'll go away. I'll wake up and grandpa will be standing over me, shaking me and telling me it'll be okay.' But it wasn't a bad dream, and he wouldn't wake up. His grandfather was gone now. Three men had tortured him to death. Heaving a deep sob, Yugi almost lost the food that he had eaten at the arcade earlier.

There was a thunderous crash and the door to the room burst open, slamming back against the wall. Yugi gave a cry of terror as the man that he had seen earlier, in the outer room, launched himself at the frightened teen. Kicking out, the small teen tried to get away, but it was no use, the man already had him in his grasp. Yugi turned around and tried to beat away the hands that were holding him down. Then the man pinned him to the ground, using his weight as an advantage.

"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down! I'm not here to hurt you!" Shadi pinned the wildly struggling youth to the floor. Never before had he seen someone that small possess the strength that this boy was displaying. He was almost unseated at least twice by the time the boy decided to give up…or play possum.

"Ahhhh! Nononono!" Yugi cried hoarsely. His mind went into overdrive when he realized that his struggles were doing nothing to dislodge the man. The small teen fell limp in the other's arms. This worked before, with the kids that were bullying him. It had to work, or he was dead.

Shadi almost fell for it, but as he started to get up, he could feel the boy's body tensing for flight. So he rested his weight back down on the small body beneath his. "If you try to run, I'll cart you off to jail and watch you try to survive the night. Now I'm not here to hurt you. I want to find and punish those who did this to that man out there. Calm down and talk to me. Do you know that man out there? Did you see who did this?"

The dam broke, Yugi's tears rolling down his face in rivers as he nodded. But he was unable to utter more than a few hoarse words. "H-help me…please." His heart was beating erratically; his chest felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't seem to take in enough air to support any type of brain function. The small teen just wanted to curl up into a ball and die.

"That's what I needed to know. I'm going to get off you now. But I'm going to tell you the truth, as I see it. You're in very real danger right now. And I'm the only one who might be able to help you. Do not run - you have no where safe to go. If I have to chase you down, you're going to regret it. Do you understand?"

Yugi nodded, more tears filling his amethyst eyes. He didn't trust the man, but he didn't have any other options either. He wouldn't endanger the lives of his few friends. Those men were after him for some reason. His life wouldn't be worth spit if he didn't find someone to trust soon. The men would be back, searching for him. And if he didn't find a way out of here by then…

True to his word, Shadi got up and pulled the boy off the floor, steadying him with an arm around his waist as he started to lose his balance. "I don't want anyone else to know you were here. Okay? We have to leave this place. Is there any way out the back?"

Yugi nodded again, more tears making their way down his face. He was so close to breaking down. If he could just think, he would have found a way out of this by now. But a bleary numbness had settled over his brain, making coherent thought impossible.

"Show me."

Yugi's body was on autopilot as he guided the strange man out of the kitchen. They passed the living room, Shadi refusing to let the boy catch even a glimpse of the mutilated corpse lying on the floor. The agent had a firm grip on the boy's arm as he let him lead the way down the basement stairs and to an old set of cellar stairs leading up and out of the house. Once they made it to the back yard, Shadi began to lead the way out of the neighborhood. Never once letting the boy out of his firm grasp. They would have to double back to get to his car, which was parked down the street from the house. Thank god it was dark out. He didn't want anyone else finding out about what he had.

It took them about 15 minutes to get to the car. Once there, Shadi pushed the boy into the back seat, covering his shivering body with a blanket, effectively hiding him from view. The small teen gave a sniffle as the blanket was pulled over his small frame. It was clear that he was already in shock from the whole incident.

The agent didn't want the only witness this case ever had to become public knowledge. But there were a few people that needed to know what he had found. And some excuse needed to be made for his sudden disappearance from the scene.

As they drove away, he phoned Isis and told her the news. Shadi knew Isis would never tell anyone what had transpired. For all the others knew, he had become sick after catching sight of the most gruesome slaying since before Dahmer. But Isis, she deserved to know the truth. To have the hope that came with it. And now he needed to share that hope with two others who desperately needed it as well. As it was, he needed their help to hide the little surprise he had found tonight. And Isis had just reaffirmed his opinion on who to call on.

Shadi drove on through the night. He had tried for a while to get the young boy to talk, but his incoherent words made little sense to the agent. By the time they reached their destination, it was three o'clock in the morning and his passenger was out cold.

He pulled the police issue Caprice into the long winding driveway. Finding a parking spot in front of the massive three story house, the agent quietly got out of the car. He didn't want to wake his exhausted passenger. It was a miracle the boy was even sleeping at all. Of course it wasn't the most peaceful sleep, his quiet whimpers and cries had been getting to the agent for the last hour or so, but at least it was rest of some form.

The agent made his way to the front door of the house, ringing the ornate doorbell by the side. He only had to wait a few moments before he was greeted by the sight of one of his best agents. Seto's face showed the shock he was feeling at having his superior show up at his house in the middle of the night. And in the middle of an undercover case no less.

"What the hell?" The brunette hissed quietly as he glared at his superior. "What are you doing here? Are you trying to blow our cover?"

"I wouldn't be here, but it's a major emergency. Where's Atemu?"

"He's in the other room playing video games. He's bored again. He thinks we should bust them tonight, before they make the trade. Why? What happened?"

"I'll tell you both at the same time. I don't want to have to repeat myself anymore than necessary. And I don't want anyone else to know about this." Shadi pushed his way into the house. "His playing games getting on your nerves?" He chuckled. It was nice to know that some things never changed.

Leave it to these two to get on each other's nerves within the first minute they were undercover together. They may have been related, but you'd never know it. They were exact opposite in looks and attitude. Seto was tall and lean, with his dark brown hair and ice blue eyes, his arrogant attitude as cold as an arctic glacier. A good looking man in his own right.

Atemu, on the other hand, barely reached the 5'5" mark, his lithe, athletic body holding a hidden strength. And his temper was as fiery as his stunning scarlet eyes, his hair a mix of black and ruby, with golden rod bangs that framed his face. True beauty molded into every detail of his features. A mix of American Indian, Egyptian and Japanese heritage evident in full lips, exotically slanted eyes and an angular jaw line.

No, there was no way to tell they were related at all. Unless you messed with one of them. Then the other would come to the rescue. But put them in a room together and they would willingly drive each other crazy. It was that bond that had intrigued Shadi from the beginning. That was why he took them in, when he could have left them in the foster homes that their cold hearted relatives had placed them in when it was clear the money couldn't be taken from them.

"Yeah. How could you tell?" Seto snorted. His young cousin was a true pain in the ass when he was bored, or when he had heavy thoughts on his mind. Right now, there was a little of both going on. Neither of the agents wanted to fail the kids that were being held somewhere around town.

"Just the tone of your voice when you said that. And be glad that he's not bending spoons or other objects yet. He tends to do that when he's bored. He does a lot of odd things when he's bored. That's why I try to keep him busy."

Seto walked calmly beside his superior officer, rolling his eyes. "Bending spoons how?"

"With his mind. He seems to have that ability. I thought you knew that?" Shadi chuckled, remembering his first stakeout with his very best agent. The youngest agent ever to be assigned to his squad. He had been so proud of the boy for that. But that was a night he'd not soon be forgetting.

The older agent learned a lot of things about his younger adopted son that night. And some of them were not exactly normal. Not that he was anywhere near normal either, but the younger agent had some talents that made him look down right ordinary.

"You're talking shit again. I won't fall for it. You forget that I've known him for longer than you have. Even if I hadn't seen him for almost five years until you came around. He's never been able to bend a spoon in his life. Don't give me that hocus pocus bullshit" Seto replied breezily.

"What hocus pocus bullshit are you talking about? And who the hell are you talking to?" Twenty-two year old agent Atemu Hasan only heard the tail end of the conversation between his cousin and whoever he was talking to as the two stepped into the large den that they called their game room. He paused the game he was playing to listen to the conversation that was taking place between his cousin and their mystery guest.

"Shadi? What are you doing here?" Atemu gasped when he turned and saw his boss standing in their temporary house. A surprise visit from Shadi was never a good thing.

"Seto asked me the same thing. I need a favor of you."

The duo had been working undercover as a flamboyantly gay couple with old family money for the past two months, trying to bust up a child smuggling ring that catered to the ultra wealthy. They were perfect for the job, as everyone at headquarters already knew that Seto was gay, and Atemu was bisexual. Added to the fact that they were both young, and wealthy in their own right, they were a shoe in for this job, fitting in instantly. And they both worked the case willingly, for one of their friends had had a run in with this ring not too long ago. The young man currently in hiding until this bust was made.

All the duo had to do was pretend that they were a couple, and that they were interested in adding a child to their nightly entertainment. As much as the thought of taking someone underage was abhorrent to the two agents, they managed to hook up with the ring of slavers, and even managed to make their way to the top of the food chain. They were just waiting for word from HQ before taking down the whole ring.

But, as Atemu sized up Shadi's animated attitude, he didn't think they would be able to see the end result of their work. Shadi was never excited. In fact, their boss was the calmest person they had ever met. So something was definitely up.

"What gives Shadi? I know you didn't come all the way down here just to ask a simple favor of us. Why are you taking us off of this case?" Atemu was ready to fight his boss to see this through to the end. He wasn't going to give this up willingly. Not since his friend had become involved.

"Something's come up. And this case is finished as of an hour from now. Seto, I need you to go with Malik and Marik to see this through. Atemu…I need your help. I have someone with me, and I need him alive. This is your first priority. Above anything else." Shadi looked the young agent straight in the eyes. Somehow he sensed that this young man was his only hope of keeping the witness alive. At first it was just a feeling, even with Isis's urging, but now he was sure he had made the right choice.

"What the hell, Seto can stay, but I have to go? Just how important is this person? And would you mind telling me why they're so much more important than these kids we're trying to save? Nothing is that important." Atemu glared back at his superior, his scarlet eyes glowing in his rage. All the time he spent trying to find these kids before they were sold off to the highest bidder. And Shadi thought he was going to take him off this case for a babysitting job. Well, the older man had another thing coming. He wasn't giving up without a fight.

Shadi sensed an attitude coming on. Atemu may be his best agent, but he still held the same defiant attitude as he had when he first came into their household. The older man knew well were this would lead. He was better to head it off at the pass. Before this became a contest of wills.

"He's a witness to a brutal torture slash murder that happened earlier." Shadi wasn't so sure he wanted his young associate to know all of the details. In the mood Atemu was currently in, there was no telling how he would act.

"And…There's something you're not telling me." Atemu countered. He would drag the information out of his boss if he had to. Usually Shadi would just tell him straight what was going on. But tonight the man was talking in circles, it made his head ache.

Shadi sighed again. He needed Atemu to understand just how important this was. He needed to be told, no matter his reaction. "The murder just happened in a little town called Domino, just outside of Cincinnati. About three hours north of here. The victim's name was Solomon Motou. I caught that much before I had to leave, if that really was him in there. He had a young houseguest, I don't know who he is, and for now I don't want to. All I know is that the murder this boy witnessed…it's tied in with your family's…your sister's. I saw the proof, in blood."

"WHAT?" Atemu jumped up over the back of the couch he had been reclining on and darted for the door as fast as he could run. There was no way in hell. He had to hear this first hand. He had to know. Just one scrap of evidence, one reason why the people who were doing this hadn't been caught yet. Just one reason that his parents' killers hadn't been brought to justice.

Atemu's family had been murdered not ten years earlier, his and Seto's. His older sister kidnapped, tortured and murdered. The only reason their family died was that the murderers wanted the young teenage girl for something only they knew, and the Hasan's weren't willing to give her up. He and Seto had only managed to stay alive because the two of them were spending the night at the house of a family friend. So, neither even knew what happened until the cops showed up at their friend's house.

It was a night that he would always remember. The end of his childhood. The start of his lonely life, passed around, first by relatives, then by the state of Tennessee. He and Seto didn't even get to be in the same foster care together. There wasn't enough room, or so they were told.

"Atemu stop! What are you doing?" Shadi ran after the young man. Seto right on his heels. "Wait! You don't know…" Shit this was not good; he would give the boy a heart attack. He was afraid that this would happen. Atemu wasn't known for being calm and cool. That was Seto's job.

Atemu flew out the door, running full speed for the Caprice. He jerked the door open and dragged the sleeping teen from the backseat. It didn't take long for Yugi to realize he was in danger, and with a cry he began kicking and beating on his attacker. Then catching a glimpse of Atemu's demonic ruby eyes glowing in the dark, amethyst eyes rolled up into the back of his head - and the boy fainted, dropping to the ground when the agent let go of him in surprise.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	3. Chapter 3

Happy holidays all! I will try to stick to my weekly update schedule but if I disappear it will be due to the motherboard going out on my computer. But for now it's still working, so I'll keep going. Enjoy!

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu wasn't even sure what he was going to do once he pulled the sleeping child out of the car. All he knew was that this person had information on his parents' murderers. And he wanted to know what it was. As soon as he seized a hold of the boy, he felt a massive electrical surge shoot through his system. What the hell? The young agent yelped in shock and released his hold, letting the cataleptic boy fall to the ground.

Before his younger partner could do anymore damage, Seto jumped him, hauling him away from the lifeless teen. "What the hell is wrong with you? He's unconscious!" He, too, wanted to know what the boy saw, but he wasn't about to beat the information out of him, like his quick tempered cousin was appearing to want to do.

Shadi marched over to the two agents, who were still struggling against one another. The older man was absolutely furious. He was willing enough to believe in his instincts, but he'd be damned if he let Atemu intimidate the already traumatized boy that was in his care. His youngest needed put back in his place. And quickly.

"Enough! Damn it!" The older agent roared at his subordinates.

Shadi lowered his voice when he saw the small form flinch out of the corner of his eyes. "The boy's been in shock since I found him. He witnessed a violent murder for Christ sake. Do either of you even remember how you felt when you lost your family? Kindly think of that fact when you deal with him."

Both agents stilled immediately. "That was a low blow boss." Seto hissed after a moment of shocked silence, matching his boss glare for glare.

Atemu shook off his older cousin's grasp, glowered angrily at Shadi and walked back over to the boy passed out in the grass. Dropping to his knees, he lifted the child into his arms, studying him carefully. He felt his heart twist. What the hell happened earlier? Whatever it was, it didn't happen this time. Maybe he had just imagined it.

This was their witness? This small boy with the face of an angel? He couldn't be more than a child, but the boy had the most enchanting features. From the tips of his gracefully arched brows to the most kissable lips that Atemu had ever seen. He was almost feminine in his beauty and so very fragile looking, with the dark circles under his eyes. The young agent's conscience stirred uncomfortably. What the hell was he going to do earlier? This boy had already been through enough suffering, he didn't need Atemu adding to it.

"He's in a state of severe shock. He has been since I found him. I couldn't make heads or tails of what he said for at least an hour before he passed out." Shadi explained flatly, still irritated.

"Atemu, get him out of here. Take him to your cabin or something. Marik, Malik and Seto can take care of the rest of this case. I'll contact you when I can. I think someone's on the take… something. I've been over and over the files, and it's all I can think of to explain why these murders have been going on for so long. Do you understand what I'm saying? No one's safe. If it's not Isis or myself calling you…do not under any circumstance let anyone know where you are." The older agent ran his hand over his bald head in frustration.

Atemu processed the information, nodding slowly, regret visible in his ruby eyes. Then he picked the boy up gently in his arms and headed towards his car, or rather the car that he was driving while undercover. It was a red Dodge Viper, and it came with a hefty price tag for the Feds.

Looking back at the others, he nodded once "I'll switch to my car when I get home and we'll take off for the mountains. We can hide up there for a while. You can come and get the car at my house, tell them I took a vacation."

"That sounds like a good plan. And Atemu…" Shadi's voice was sharp enough to bring the young agent's attention back to him. "Don't frighten the kid anymore. He's terrified as it is. Remember what you felt like when this happened to your family."

Both of the young agents cringed again at the reminder. Seto's mouth thinned until his lips were white, and Atemu's ruby eyes flashed dangerously.

"You didn't need to pull that card. I already knew I was wrong the minute he looked at me like I was some kind of…demon." Atemu murmured, gazing down at the boy in his arms. His protective instincts kicking in the moment his eyes locked on the diminutive, unconscious form.

The longer he looked at the minute figure, the more he was beginning to feel a stirring in the pit of his stomach. The child was absolutely stunning, an angel trapped in flesh, and he was going to make the coming days hell on earth. Briefly, he wondered what god he angered to be stuck in this situation. He would be alone for god knows how long with this beauty, but unable to so much as touch him. This was one of those days where life truly sucked. The agent rolled his eyes, cursing his fate.

He placed the boy gently in his car, and smoothed a lock of blonde hair off his forehead. In passing, Atemu wondered what color his eyes were. He hadn't taken any notice when he pulled him out of the car. Maybe a light blue or a deep brown. Neither color would look right with his face, he decided. His young charge looked so innocent lying there.

The agent shook the thought away. He couldn't afford to get mixed up with the only witness this case had ever had in the twenty some odd years it had been going on. And chances were the boy was straight. So whatever he was thinking a moment ago, it was better to just leave it be. He slammed the driver's door and peeled out of the driveway, shooting down the street in a cloud of tire smoke. His small passenger didn't even flinch at the noise.

The bulk of the young agent's thoughts were heavy and dark as he drove the two hours it took to get to his house. His mind wanted to wander back into the past. And it was all because of this boy, and the case that he was caught in the middle of. This case was special to Atemu. Even more so than the one he was working on with his cousin. This case was the very reason that both he and Seto ended up orphaned.

Seto had been adopted by his parents when he was but two years old, Atemu just a baby at the time. Seto's mother hadn't adapted very well to motherhood, so when she said she was putting her two year old son up for adoption Katana and Petre, Atemu's parents, jumped at the chance. Their youngest child would have someone to grow up with. They loved children, but were unable to have any more after Atemu.

The night of their murder, when Atemu was seven, they were protecting Katana's older daughter from another marriage, Atemu's half-sister Mana. A group of men had invaded their home, intent on taking the young girl with them. Her charred remains were discovered some five days later. Atemu and Seto found themselves shuffled around various relatives' homes after that night. Each one of them trying their hardest to break his parents' iron clad will. When they found out it couldn't be done, the boys were dropped off at a foster care.

It wasn't until Shadi had come around, looking for anyone connected with this case, that the boys even saw each other again. And the only reason they did was that Shadi and Isis were a childless couple, who couldn't deal with the burden of younger children. But they saw potential in the two teens that'd had their lives ripped apart nearly a decade earlier.

The two FBI agents took in both teens, giving them a new lease on life. Their only condition was that they must do something productive with their lives, rather than continue on their paths of self-destruction. It was much to their pleasure when both Atemu and Seto decided to enroll in the academy as soon as they were eligible, both taking up the same careers as their adoptive parents.

By the time that Atemu had run through, mentally, the events that led up to his current lifestyle, he was already pulling into the driveway of a modest two story colonial house. He had bought it not long after being accepted into the FBI. It was his present to himself, so that he would always have a place to return to. To belong. To give him the stability he had always longed for as a youth.

Pushing thoughts of his own broken past out of his head, the crimson eyed agent turned to his restless passenger. So far the boy had not returned to consciousness. But he was still mumbling and sobbing in his sleep. Several times throughout the drive, Atemu jumped at a high keening cry that was made by the trembling child.

Carefully, so as not to wake the slight figure, the ruby eyed agent scooped him into his arms and made his way to the garage. But before venturing into the darkened room, Atemu reached out mentally, feeling for anything out of order with his mind. Once he was sure there was no surprise waiting for him in the dark, Atemu walked into the garage and gently laid the boy in the passenger seat of his personal car. He had long ago learned to trust his instincts, if that's what they were. The voice in the back of his head had saved his ass more than once. Of course, it had gotten him into trouble just as many times.

He got into the driver's seat and started the sleek 2006 Corvette, with a smirk. It was a gift from Shadi and Isis on his 21st birthday. And he loved it all the more because it meant that someone cared enough to give him something without expecting a favor in return. Every time he took the car out for a spin, he was reminded that he was no longer alone in the world. And it was a good feeling. He had a family again. A weird, intensely dysfunctional, and highly annoying family at times, but at least they cared. That was something he was sorely lacking throughout his time spent in the care of different relatives and foster homes.

He briefly touched the remote for the garage door, backing out of the garage as soon as he was clear, swinging the car around to speed off towards the distant mountains. As much as he loved his new family dearly, he still needed time to himself. He had spent almost five years in the system, shuffled from house to house. And in nearly every household there were small children who cried constantly. He did his best to stay quiet and out of the way, often hiding outside until darkness fell. He learned long ago to enjoy the peace and solitude of being alone.

Even now, years later, the crying of a child would send him into panic mode. Too many people in one place and he was looking for the exit. So his buying a secluded cabin in the mountains did not come as a surprise to either of his adoptive parents.

The agent flew down the road towards the mountains, testing the car's limits. He felt free when he was driving by himself. Not a care in the world as he listened to the radio announce another storm warning. His passenger was getting restless again, making small noises. Atemu turned his head, intending to comfort the youth…only to look straight into the most beautiful amethyst eyes he had ever seen. His mouth turned dry at the sight.

Yugi attempted to surface from the ever present fog that had settled in after what he witnessed earlier in the night. But the shadows didn't want to let him out of their grasp, his brain muddled by irrational thoughts. Blinking slowly, trying again to clear the haze, he looked up and saw his attacker from earlier. The small teen couldn't help the cry that came from his lips. This wasn't what he was supposed to see when he woke up.

He thought the person who had gotten him out of the house earlier had promised him that he was safe. Or had he imagined the whole scenario. Right now he was far from it. This man was going to kill him. Then all conscious thought flew out the window when those glowing scarlet eyes turned on him. Yugi did the only thing he could think of. He screamed!

The seemingly innocent child in the passenger seat let out the most unearthly cry, lashing out with his hands and his feet at what he thought was the enemy. Atemu slammed on the brakes, the vehicle veering to the side. As soon as the Corvette came to a standstill, the boy kicked open the door and ran as fast as he could towards the brush and undergrowth next to the deserted highway.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Atemu climbed hastily out of the car and tore off after the child. He couldn't afford to lose this witness. Not only would Shadi kill him, he would kill himself. He was just that much closer to finding out who had killed his parents when the boy was in his hands. He wasn't giving this one up.

He chased his young charge into the brush, branches whipping at his face and his arms as he tried to keep sight of his target. Fortunately for the agent, the boy was still battling shock and exhaustion. All of a sudden the boy tripped over an exposed root, and Atemu pounced, pinning the struggling form between him and the moist ground below.

"Stop squirming! Enough already!" Atemu tried to subdue the boy. But he was struggling something fierce. "Stop!"

The agent flipped the boy over so that they were facing each other, pinning his small hands above his head. Atemu felt a stirring in his groin as soon as he saw the boy's face. This child was so beautiful. He was sin with the face of an angel. The young agent could clearly feel himself hardening with every small movement the child was making. Slowly, Atemu lowered his mouth, until they were only a hairsbreadth apart - fearful amethyst clashing with lust filled crimson - until he caught the luminous sheen of tears in the boy's stunning eyes. What the hell? This wasn't right! He couldn't be thinking like that!

"Don't kill me, don't kill me, don't kill me." Yugi whispered over and over, tears spilling down his face. He was going to die. This man with the devil's eyes was going to kill him and there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't ready to die yet.

Atemu pulled back, astonished. "I'm not going to kill you. I just wanted you to stop running. I'm not going to hurt you. Look, I'm used to chasing the bad guys, kid. I've never had to deal with someone like you before. So I know I'm a little rough, I'm sorry. We need to get back in the car and get you to someplace safe. Are you following what I'm saying?"

The agent watched as those striking amethyst eyes glazed over. Frowning, Atemu tapped two fingers against the boy's cheekbone. He wasn't sure that the child had even understood a word he said. Gently he tapped the boy's face again.

"At least nod if you understand me. We need to get back in the car. It's not safe here."

The boy was out of his daze long enough to catch what he was saying, nodding solemnly. Atemu breathed a sigh of relief. Pushing himself up off of the small body, he picked him up in his arms and made his way back to the Corvette. This time the boy gave no resistance, fortunate as Atemu needed all his focus on finding a path that didn't involve briar bushes. When they reached the car, the young boy allowed Atemu to position him, doll-like, without even blinking.

Atemu's mind was racing by the time he put the car into gear and continued their journey. At least the boy was no longer terrified of him, but this blank silence was hardly any better. And on top of that, they had not yet escaped the danger zone. There were still had a couple of hours to go before they would be totally safe. But Atemu was nothing if not determined, and he intended on them making it there with no one being the wiser. It was going to be a long night.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Opening the door to the small one bedroom cabin, Atemu shouldered his way into the house with the small teen wrapped tenderly in his arms. The boy was in and out of consciousness so much that the agent was almost certain he should be in the hospital under surveillance. But at the moment that wasn't an option. The child would be nothing more than a sitting duck if he were to be sent to the hospital.

He gently set his burden on the king size bed in the cabin's only bedroom. Well, this was going to be fun. He was stuck babysitting one of the sexiest people he had ever seen. And there were only a few problems with that. One, he didn't even know if the boy was of age for him to be thinking along those lines. Two, this boy was a very important witness to a series of crimes that dated back to before they were both born. Thirdly, the boy was quite possibly straight, and fourthly, if that was a word, he was very nearly catatonic.

All in all, it was enough proof for the crimson-eyed agent that Hell existed… and that he was currently stuck in it. Atemu shook his head, wondering if he should shove an icepack down his pants. Thinking the same thoughts as earlier in the evening was getting him nowhere. What was it about this boy that kept made him want to throw him on the bed and ravish his body?

It was approaching seven o'clock in the morning, and Atemu knew that he wasn't going to be able to remain awake for much longer. He lay down beside the sleeping youth and took the boy into his arms. He noted that the boy seemed to settle down when he did that, curling towards the warmth that his body offered. His thoughts still centered on his young charge, the agent drifted off to sleep. Shopping could wait until they woke up. There was enough canned food to last through at least one meal.

Atemu was only asleep for about six hours before quiet, distressed sobbing was his wake up call. Glancing blearily around the room for the source of the noise, he caught sight of the boy that should have been asleep in his arms. The small boy was curled into a ball by the locked bedroom door, rocking back and forth and sobbing. Atemu raised his head, intent on coaxing him back to sleep. How did the boy get out of his grasp without waking him? He was usually a light sleeper.

"Little one, why are you out of bed?" Atemu asked softly, pushing himself upright.

The boy's head shot up, his eyes dilating at the sight of Atemu climbing out of bed. He leapt to his feet, pulling at the door, franticly searching for a way out of the room.

"Whoa…take it easy, little one. I mean you no harm. Where are you gonna go? This is probably the safest place around. They won't get to you here. Not while I'm around." The agent circled around the boy, hoping to get close enough to grab him, keep him from hurting himself.

Somehow, the words penetrated the haze of terror in the boy's mind. At the reminder that he wasn't safe anywhere, he slid to the ground, a blank, defeated look in his tearful amethyst eyes. Atemu couldn't bear to see that look. It was as if the boy had given up. He watched as the tears slid down the boy's face and his lower lip trembled piteously. It was all the agent could do to keep from breaking down with him. That look was just…He had never seen such a look of complete defeat on anyone's face. It made him want to cry in sympathy.

"What is your name little one? How old are you?" Atemu kneeled in front of his charge, touching his face gently to force the boy to look at him.

"…" Yugi couldn't breathe around the lump in his throat, let alone talk. Dark, chaotic thoughts clouded his mind as he tried to answer the man who was speaking so softly to him. His throat constricted further, leaving him struggling for breath. The weight on his was chest becoming more oppressive with every attempt.

Atemu could see the child struggling to take in enough air to speak, but after a few futile attempts, he knew it wasn't going to work. This boy was in such shock. Shadi had better call with some information soon. The situation didn't look good for their young witness. And he had no earthly idea what to do to help him. So he just took the child into his arms, letting him sob out his panic and grief.

"It's okay little one…I'm still here. No one expects you to do this alone. I'm trying to help you if you'll let me. Breathe…one at a time. Come on, you can do it." Atemu coached the boy.

He could feel the boy's heart fluttering in his chest. To him, it felt like the boy was going into cardiac arrest. But he was no expert on shock, so he couldn't be sure. But he needed to help the child catch his breath. Somehow. So he whispered the same things his mother used to speak of when she put him back to bed after a nightmare, as he rocked the child on his lap.

Many tense minutes passed, where it looked like the boy was fighting a losing battle. Then his breathing began to even out, and his jewel like eyes fluttered closed. Once he was sure the danger had passed, Atemu lifted the boy back into his arms and laid him on the bed, curling protectively around him. He lay there for a long while, wondering what would have caused the small boy to react the way he did. What did he see last night? Atemu was desperate to know the answer.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Jou laid the bouquet of flowers down by the fence. With a tear trickling down his face, he nodded to his friends. It was time to go. They couldn't do anything here. Slowly the group made their way away from the house that their small friend had lived in.

"I can't believe they're gone. Who would do such a thing?" Anzu cried. "They never did anything to anyone."

"Sometimes people don't need a reason to do what they do." Honda wrapped an arm around the girl, offering comfort. The three moved slowly, none of them wanting to turn their back on the house where their friend had once lived

"It's still a load of bullshit!" Jou cried, shaking his fists.

The news was all around town that morning. There had been a ghastly murder the night before, Yugi's grandfather. And as of yet, Yugi's whereabouts were unknown. The three friends came by to offer a bouquet of flowers as a token of their affection for the reclusive, elderly man that they called grandpa for the past two years. But their mind was on their missing friend. They needed to do something. They couldn't just sit here and let something horrific happen to the small teen that had brought so much joy into their lives.

"I say we meet up here later tonight. We'll find Yugi if he's still around." Jou offered.

"And what if he's not? You've heard about those murders that have happened all over the country, right? What if the people doing that kidnapped Yugi? That's what the papers are saying." Anzu countered, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't say that! Nothing like that happened to Yug. Do you hear me? Nothing!" Jou growled back. Until they saw proof… until they saw a body… Jou refused to believe. People like Yugi didn't die. They certainly didn't get murdered.

"Easy man, chill out. We'll try to find him. I'm gonna walk Anzu home and I'll be back in a few minutes. Okay. She's upset as it is. If she wants to come back tonight then that's up to her." Honda offered rubbing the girl's back and trying not to let his voice shake.

"Whatever." Jou responded, snidely. If they didn't want to help, then fine. He couldn't just stand idly by while his friend was in danger. He had to do something. Even if it was just to stay busy.

The group split up. Honda and Anzu made their way towards her house. Jou cut through the back yard of one of Yugi's neighbors. He was looking for anything out of the ordinary. Anything that would point towards his missing friend. He couldn't give up hope. His friend couldn't be one of the many victims that he had heard about.

"They've split up boss. One of them went behind the house. The other two are walking down the street. Which one do you want me to go after?" One of the men sitting in an unmarked car said quietly into his radio.

"Take the two that are walking down the street. You need to act natural, and that means take the ones in the open. Just be yourself, they'll trust you. Remember, you only have three weeks to find this kid. I would hate to have to use our reserve this time; you only have a year left." Came the reply.

"Gotcha. I'm out." Putting the car into gear, he took off after the two unsuspecting teens. He would be damned if they used his little brother in their ritual. Given another year his younger sibling would be too old for them to consider, but…he had to find the original target. There was no other way. No way out. He would do anything to protect his little brother. Even if it meant handing someone he didn't know over to his boss, for their ghastly rituals.

Deep, honey brown eyes gazed left and right as Jou walked between the houses in Yugi's neighborhood. The blonde was praying to god that he would find some clue, just a small scrap of anything that would lead him to his missing friend. He knew all about the kidnappings where the person missing would be found five days later, their corpses nothing but a pile of burnt ash in the shape of a person. He shivered slightly at the thought of that happening to his small friend. Not if he could help it. But if the police and FBI couldn't help these people, then how could he, one lone teenager, do anything for Yugi.

As he turned down the small alleyway between two of the houses, a scrap of material caught his attention. It was hanging off a piece of trim that stuck off one of the houses. Jou plucked it from its perch, turning it over in his hands. It had the same yellow star pattern on it as Yugi's pajamas. The only reason he knew that was Yugi wore them when he stayed the night at his house. Jou sucked in a breath. No way! His friend had passed through here just last night, in his pajamas. Running away…or running to get help? He had to tell Honda and Anzu.

Jou took off at a dead run. Rounding the corner just in time to see his friends talking to one of the many police officers that were cruising the neighborhood. As the two teens got into the car, Jou crouched back into the alleyway. He would talk to them about this later, when the cops were finished with them. He didn't like cops none too much anyways. They used to return him to his father when he ran away. Never once did they ask why he did so. If they would have, he would have shown them the many bruises and marks that his old man gave him when he was drunk. But they never asked.

Jou retraced his steps to where he found the scrap of fabric. If he had found that, then maybe he could help after all. The blonde wandered around the neighborhood until it was almost dark, not finding anything else of interest. By then it was time to meet his friends in front of Yugi's house. Maybe the cops told them something. Disappointed, he made his way back to his friend's house, hoping that they would be able to find him before it was too late.

He sat down on the porch to wait for Honda and Anzu, ducking under the yellow crime scene tape that was across the entryway. One look at his watch and he saw that they were late. Maybe they were still at the police station. He waited for another fifteen minutes and dug out the cell phone that his sister had given him for his birthday. It was her way of saying keep in touch. Briefly, he felt bad. He wished he was living with his mother and his sister out in California, but his mother just up and left without him, leaving him in his drunken father's care. She never called to see how he was. Nothing.

Jou shook his head. It was well past time for Honda to be here, even if Anzu didn't want to come. He dialed information and got the number for the police department. After being transferred from department to department, he was finally in contact with the lead detective on Yugi's case.

"I was just wondering if my friends were still down there. Their names are Honda Jacobi and Anzu Levigne. They are down there for questions concerning Yugi Motou's whereabouts." Jou said as he leaned his head on the railing.

This really sucked. No one he had talked to even knew that the teens had been brought in for questioning. And here he was proud of himself for speaking professionally, like Grandpa Motou had taught him. But no one knew what he was talking about.

"I'm sorry sir. As far as I know, no one's been brought in for questioning on this case. And everything goes through me. Is there something you want to tell me about Yugi Motou?"

"But I saw them get into a cop car. How can you tell me you lost them?" Jou stood up. If they weren't at the station, where were they? That was a cop car they got into, he could have sworn it.

"Maybe State picked them up. What color was the car?" The man on the line asked.

Jou thought for a minute. Was it brown…or was it blue? It was an unmarked car, he knew that for sure. "I think it was brown…I don't know, it was unmarked, you know, like undercover. Where did you guys take my friends?" Jou snapped, irate. This wasn't happening! When this day started, only one of his friends was missing. Now all three of them had disappeared. What was going on?

"I'm the only person who drives an unmarked car in this district. And I didn't pick anyone up. Listen to me…you need to stay where you are, I'll come get you. I don't know what's going on around here, but I'm going to figure it out. Tell me where you are now, and I'll pick you up. Hello?"

Jou didn't answer the person on the other end of the phone. He was watching a dark colored unmarked cruiser make its way slowly down the street. Scooting slowly back until he was hidden by the porch swing, he watched as the car turned on its searchlight, illuminating the yard and the front of the house. Maybe if he stayed really still, he wouldn't be noticed. The blonde didn't even dare breathe. This was the car that his friends had gotten into earlier. It had the same dent in the driver's fender. But this car wasn't supposed to exist. It didn't belong to the Domino Police Department, if the detective was to be believed.

He tightened his grip on the cell phone as the car came to a stop. The searchlight made a wide sweep around the front of the house, obviously looking for something. Then the car went on its way. Jou breathed a deep sigh of relief, he wasn't spotted. Then he remembered that he had someone on the line.

Quietly he said "Are you still there?"

"Hello? Are you there?"

"Thank god. It came back. It's a brown car, I can't see the plate…it's definitely a cop car. What do I do?" What if this person was looking for him? It didn't take much imagination to think that if the person in that car had Honda and Anzu, then he would be next. What if this person had Yugi too?

"Where are you?"

"I'm sitting in front of Yugi's house. The guy just went by here, looking for something. What happened to my friend? Oh god what's going on?" Jou dissolved into tears. Something was very wrong with this situation. His friends were missing, and some guy was lurking around the neighborhood, probably looking for him.

"I want you to go around the back of the house, out of sight of the road, and wait for me there. Do you hear me?" The man's voice sounded urgent. "I'll be there in about five minutes. I'll come around from the back yard. The safe word is hamburger. If someone tries to approach you and they don't say that word, I want you to get out of there as fast as you can. I'm on my way. I don't want to give away your position in case they are on foot, so I'm going to let you go. Remember – hamburger."

Jou put the phone in his back pocket and made his way quietly to the back of the house. He curled up by the bushes, sniffling, and waited for help to arrive as every noise in the night became magnified to his hearing. And everything he heard, his mind turned into footsteps that were getting closer and closer to his hiding spot.

'Please get here soon.'


	4. Chapter 4

Lt. Gary Feldman was stumbling out the doors of the station by the time he hung up with the boy on the other end. He almost had to laugh at his safe word. Hamburger. If the situation were any lighter, he would have. Honestly, it was all he could think of at the moment. It had been at least eight hours since he had last eaten something, and his stomach was taking over his brain. He needed to get to this kid first though. Before someone else did.

As soon as he squeezed into his cruiser, he pressed the speed dial that was a direct line to Isis's phone at FBI headquarters. He had been in communication with her and Shadi ever since news of the murder hit the airwaves, seeking advice and going over damage control. Someone with inside information, it seems, had leaked the case to the media overnight. And now his small town was overrun with reporters asking questions they had no right to ask, and just generally making a nuisance of themselves.

He hadn't even known that Mr. Motou had a grandson living with him until sometime this morning, when his CSI crew tore the rest of the house apart. And this boy's picture was plastered all over the news well before that time. When he confronted Shadi earlier on there being a possible kidnapping along with a murder, the agent told him that the kid was in custody, and far away from the scene. So who notified the news crews? Whoever it was, they held a lot of weight for being an unnamed informant. And when his warrant went through, the detective was going to rake them over the coals.

He was pissed off enough as it was, his FBI contact could have informed him earlier on the possibility of another person living in the house. Just how had he come across that information in the first place? That was what Gary wanted to know. But right now, he needed their help, so he would shut his mouth and play nice. The detective knew that his contacts didn't fully trust him, and for what it was worth, he didn't blame them. There was something going on here. More than what he was seeing, and he saw a lot more than anyone gave him credit for.

"Special Agent Isis Ahmad, may I help you?" The woman on the other end of the phone asked politely.

"Isis? What's the passcode?" He had to ask, he didn't know Isis from any other pleasant female voice, having only talked to her a couple of times. They had each agreed on a code word that only the three of them knew not long after catching one of his younger coworkers listening in on their conversation.

"Watcher." She responded easily.

Isis didn't need to ask his code. She knew the detective's voice, and she knew he was going to call, just not what the call would be about. Call it a sixth sense, but Isis had the uncanny ability to see bits and pieces of future events. She had seen one of the possible outcomes of this case she and Shadi were working. Not all of it, but what she saw was more than enough.

And those visions had been giving the female agent nightmares for the past couple of weeks. But, as she learned not long ago, these visions were not set in stone. They could be changed before they came to pass. And she fully intended on stacking the deck where their young witness was concerned. For, if he went down, her adopted son would be taken with him. Their fates were tied together.

"Thank god. Things are going crazy here. I have a kid waiting for me at the Motou house. He thinks he's in trouble, and I tend to agree with him. Apparently he's friends with the Motou boy, and he said that his friends haven't been seen since they were talking to an officer in an unmarked car. I haven't talked to anyone today, and my car is the only unmarked car around this area. I'm going to pick him up now. What do I do with him? He can't stay here." Gary outlined, for Isis, the rest of what the kid had told him earlier.

As he'd left the station, he'd caught a glimpse of the desk sergeant writing up a couple of missing persons reports, two local teenagers. The kid wasn't lying. He was pretty sure that those were the two kids in question. The thought sent a chill up his spine. Their parents were quick to call them in missing. Hell, he would be too, after what happened last night.

"I'll get someone on the way now. Where do you want to meet them?" Isis's pen was poised over her notebook, ready to take down directions.

"I'll call you back as soon as he's in my custody. Then we can plan on a meeting."

"Okay, just call as soon as you know."

This was serious business. Not only were these people after Mr. Motou, they were targeting his grandson's friends. Something wasn't adding up. The Motou murder wasn't just for kicks, him and the boy – they knew something, had some information that was vital to this group's work.

Isis hung up the phone and hurried into the other room, where her partner, and husband, Shadi was typing furiously away at the computer. "Shadi, have you found anything else out?"

He got up and walked away from the desk, speaking to her as he went about his business. "Apparently the names Solomon and Yugi Motou have a very complicated paper trail…false documents and likewise. Someone really went through a lot of trouble to give these two a history past twelve years ago. But I also have a record of a Yugi Halli who was born around the same time as Yugi Motou. And the kicker is that Solomon Motou was his great-great-great grandfather's name. His grandfather's name was Siamun Hitori."

The bald agent tore a piece of paper off his printer, and sat back at the desk, staring at the computer screen. "Yugi Halli's parents were killed in Colorado only three days before the Motou's appeared on the credit bureau's financial radar. About the same time Saimun disappeared, along with the child. I'm still looking into the rest of this. I booked a flight to Colorado for tonight. That's where this all starts. Why, what's up?" Shadi turned from the information on his computer to look into his wife's deep brown eyes. She looked troubled.

"I have another child that needs to disappear for a while. Whoever is behind this, they are targeting the boy, Yugi's, friends. Two of them are more than likely dead by now. A third was lucky enough to get in touch with that detective, Gary. He's out there looking for the boy now. Do you have anyone to send out there to pick him up?"

"I'll call Seto. He's between jobs right now - after last night's bust. And with Atemu in hiding, he has nothing to keep him here." Shadi informed his wife as he dialed the number to the older of his two adopted sons.

"There are days when I wish the two of them would have chosen a different career. I really hate sending them on cases like this. They are the only children we will ever have." She wrapped her arms around her waist, shuddering at the thought of finding either of her adopted son's bodies. "Even my brother would have said enough is enough. He would have hidden his children too. For some reason, those people are after this boy and I don't think they're going to let up. I don't want my boys caught up in this." At the moment, she was unable to see either of her boys' future. And it worried her to no end.

Shadi took hold of her hand, cradling the phone between his shoulder and his ear. "Relax; they're old enough to handle this. Look at how far they've both come since we took them in…" Speaking into the phone, he said "Seto, I have a job for you…"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Two days, he had been stuck up here with this lifeless doll, this beautiful, lifeless boy. With no way to reach him. He had tried everything he could think of to get the boy to come back to the land of the living. But so far nothing had worked. The boy had cocooned himself deep within his mind not long after the episode that first morning in the cabin. The young agent couldn't help but think that he had contributed to the boy's state of mind. He had never felt so guilty in his life. If he wouldn't have grabbed the child...He didn't know.

Atemu didn't even know the child's name, or how old he was. Today he had gotten so frustrated that he ended up putting a hole in the wall of the cabin with his fist. But still, no reaction from the small boy who was curled up on the floor, in a fetal position. He didn't even flinch. Atemu was at the end of his rope. If he didn't do something quick, the boy would die, and he'd never know what he saw.

Atemu growled when he heard the phone ring. The agent glared at the device for a minute before picking it up. Only a few people even knew of this prepaid number. And if it wasn't Shadi, with information, then he was going to go ballistic on the person calling.

"Yes?"

Shadi's animated voice carried over the phone. "Atemu, listen to me carefully. I can't talk long, there are other people around. I want you to do some research on this book. It's called _The Power of the Shadows – Rituals and Ceremonies, Legends and Myths. _I found a copy in the boy's house, and forwarded it to your email. That is where you will find the answers to what I'm about to tell you."

Shadi could barely catch his breath to rattle off what he had found. "The boy's real name is Yugi Halli. But he goes by the name Yugi Motou. He is seventeen years old. And he's not just a witness, he's the primary target. Yugi is the one they were searching for when they killed his grandfather. You'll know why when you read the book. I have to go. I'll call you when I get back into town."

"Wait! Shadi, he's not eating, he's not sleeping…"

The line went dead. Atemu stared at the phone, incensed. Read the book? What the hell was that all about? This book couldn't tell him how to get the boy to eat. Or how to break through the boy's catatonic state. Would it? He took a deep breath, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. Glancing briefly over at his charge, the agent blew the hair out of his face in frustration.

He was no use to anyone in this state of mind. This case was affecting his head as much as his young charge was. If he wasn't able to clear his head soon, he'd probably do something he would seriously regret. A bullet to the brain sounded nice. Atemu smirked at the sarcastic thought.

After a few more calming breaths, he got up and walked over to the table to boot up the laptop. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do. His charge was currently staring at the wall, his half open eyes glazed over. It was like the boy wasn't even there, only an empty husk.

After downloading the email in question, Atemu skimmed over the first couple of pages. Then he read out loud, putting voice to the words, outlining anything of significance.

"There are two types of souls on the earthly plane, whole souls and half souls. A half soul is formed when the transition from soul to physical entity becomes too much for the whole soul to bear. It is torn in two before the transition is complete." This wasn't exactly what he was expecting.

What was it his boss wanted him to read? There had to be something here that was worth the time. He may have questioned his adopted father's methods, but he never questioned what the man thought was important. Shadi knew too much for that. The man was almost supernatural in his ability to know almost everything.

"All whole souls and most half souls are rendered powerless the moment the transition to physical entity is complete, as they each contain light and dark sides. Light and darkness cancel out each other's abilities. Only those few half souls split along the lines of darkness and light are able to retain some portion of their powers. Of these one sided half souls, the only ones pure enough for the sacrificial ritual are those of light…What the fuck?"

A sacrifice? What an archaic thought. Who in their right mind would want to sacrifice another person? That practice had died out centuries ago. The agent continued reading. A couple hours later, after finding nothing else of interest in the chapter he was reading, he was convinced that this book was nothing but a relic. Something that the old man was interested in. But why would Shadi want him to read it if that's all it was?

Atemu shoved back from the table and walked away, frustrated, pulling at his tricolor hair. This wasn't going to tell him anything. So far it was about as interesting as reading an instruction manual. He was going to need all of his brain function just to get past the current chapter. He was the first one to believe in the supernatural, but this was above and beyond.

The crimson eyed agent walked into the kitchen and grabbed a red Monster energy drink and a slice of cheesecake out of the refrigerator. He would need the energy boost, it was getting late, and his concentration was lagging. Thank god that the small store in town had homemade food. Absently, he grabbed an extra piece of cake and set it down in front of his charge. Briefly, he checked the boy's condition before going back to his reading on the laptop. Nothing had changed. He didn't think the boy would eat it, but he had to offer. Maybe that would work where nothing else did. Something had to give soon.

Picking up where he left off, he looked for the reference to the sacrificial ritual that was mentioned earlier. As he found it, he began to read aloud, taking notes in his book.

"The sacrificial ritual is the repeated acts of…torture bringing out the power of a half soul of light and offering it in its original form to the gods of the shadows in exchange for an endowment. The endowment will be whatever the master or masters of the sacrifice wish. A sacrifice is only honored during the harvest moon, when the soul's power is at its peak. Isn't the harvest moon within the next month?"

He was going to have to check the calendar on that one. Maybe this was leading somewhere. It mentioned burning the bodies, and so far all the victims' bodies were found burnt beyond recognition.

Atemu skimmed the page. He could hardly bear to read what these people – the masters – put the victims through to release this power. He jerked his head back, ruby eyes shifting to the boy sitting in the corner. How could anyone do that to such an innocent? The thought was beyond his comprehension. He looked back at his snack and pushed it away; now wasn't the best time to eat. He had lost what little appetite he had when he began reading this chapter.

A note at the bottom of the page caught his attention. "The honor of a sacrifice is based on four different elements: Strength of the soul, purity of the light, physical beauty, and chastity. A sacrifice with all four elements is the highest honor to the shadows. And the master shall be rewarded accordingly. But, a sacrifice does not need all four elements to be acknowledged by the shadows. Where the hell did they get this stuff?" He snorted.

By now the agent was agitated beyond all reason. He needed to finish his notes and break this down into something he could understand. Light souls, dark souls, shadows, power? He paged back to the footnotes. It was a book based on the rituals and customs of the druids. Rituals dating back before the dawn of civilized man. This was what these people were doing? Torturing innocents for their own power?

Half way through the night, he found something of interest in the book, a small note at the bottom of the page. A reference to another chapter. He skipped ahead. It said that physical traits were similar among the halves of light and dark. Was this why Shadi had placed the boy in his care, even after how he had acted? Did the older agent believe that he was a part of a soul that had been torn in half? Did he know something that had so far eluded his young protégé? Atemu couldn't help it, his eyes slid to the small figure on the floor.

True, they looked alike…but could he really believe what this book was saying? He had felt something missing from his life for as long as he could remember, but he had always thought that it was his family. Could it be something entirely different? Could this be where his strange talents came from? Could this be part of the reason he was drawn to the boy so completely? More questions than answers. Atemu weighed the information in his mind, and that was all he was able to come up with – more questions than answers. He shut off the computer with a sigh.

It was time to test the book's theory. If he were really this boy's soul mate then he should be able to wake him from this vegetative state that he was currently in. Atemu got up from the chair and walked over to his charge. It was hard to believe that this boy was almost eighteen years old. He looked like he was about twelve. But he was so beautiful, it made Atemu's heart ache for him to be well again. To see what he was like before he grief and terror turned him into the zombie that he was presently. Gently, the ruby eyed agent picked the boy up and made his way to the couch.

Settling the small teen in his lap, Atemu laid his forehead against the boy's. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He had used this persuasion technique before, on criminals that he interrogated. The power of suggestion. It seemed to work better the closer he was to his target.

'Yugi' He called out mentally, concentrating on his task. "Little one, where are you?"

Without warning, the air was knocked out of his lungs, and when his vision cleared he found himself in what appeared to be a dark hallway. What the hell? This had never happened before! He glanced both ways down the eerie hall. There was a door on each side. Atemu studied the first one that he came to.

It was dark and forbidding, made of what looked like dark stone, carved with overgrown vines that, to him, looked like bars of a cage. The knob, heavy and black, possibly cast-iron, had a complicated rune carved into it. It was also closed tightly against him. There were some symbols of a different design etched into the door that seemed slightly familiar to him. He turned away. As curious as he was about this door, he had more urgent matters to attend to. He needed to find his charge. So he continued cautiously down the hall.

The door on the opposite side was a rather ordinary door, painted pale blue, with a brass knob. And it was wide open, allowing brilliant light to penetrate the dark shadows. This must be the way he was supposed to go then. Atemu glanced warily into the room.

The room was radiance itself, it shined on the walls and from the objects on the floor. Patiently, he covered his eyes waiting for them to adjust to the brightness. Then, as his eyes adjusted, he was able to make out a child's room. The objects on the floor were scattered toys, items of innocence and youth. Atemu wondered where he was for a moment. Then he caught sight of the small figure curled up in a ball on the bed. It was his charge. The boy was thoroughly engrossed in what appeared to be a small television in the corner of the room.

Atemu sat down on the bed gently. "Yugi?" He reached out and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind the boy's ear, trying to make contact.

The boy flinched, but otherwise remained silent, his attention focused solely on the screen, as tears ran down his face.

Frowning, Atemu turned around, catching sight of what was on the TV. There were blurry, distorted images moving across the screen. He could barely make out what was going on. And then an eerie shriek erupted from the screen. And another. He took a closer look. It looked like the boy was watching reruns of what happened to his grandfather. He grimaced. He couldn't let the boy drown himself in memories of something he couldn't change. As much as he'd like to see the faces of the murderers, he couldn't let his young charge continue to watch this.

Atemu got off the bed and pulled the plug on the television. But the macabre scene still played itself out. Quickly, he walked back to the boy and covered his eyes, hoping for a response. As soon as he put a hand to the boy's face, the television blinked out, silent.

"Yugi?" He questioned again.

"He did it for me. He died because of me. What did I do that was so wrong?" The quiet voice was music to Atemu's ears, even with the turbulent emotion that he heard clearly.

Dropping back onto the bed, he picked the boy up, settling him in his lap. The small teen gave no resistance. "You did nothing wrong little one. Sometimes people are just evil…like those men. It wasn't anything you did. They are after you for who you are, for what you are."

When Yugi burst into tears and buried his head in Atemu's chest, the young agent rocked him gently, trying to soothe the boy as best he could. And if not all the tears that fell were Yugi's, well, neither of them would tell. To Atemu, it was as if he had lost his family all over again. Just thinking of what his young charge had been through the past couple of days. He had been there, seen what happened. Atemu hadn't, and he couldn't imagine the thoughts that were running through the boy's mind. Another wave of guilt assaulted him.

"What am I?" The boy gazed up at him, tears clinging to his lashes.

Who was this man who came into his prison? The small teen hadn't even been able to open the door earlier. As soon as he found himself in this room, the TV came on automatically, playing his grandfather's final hours repeatedly. He finally gave in, after what seemed like hours of pounding on the door, to no avail, curling up on the bed. That was why he was still sitting in front of the television. How someone was able to get the door to open was a mystery to him. But he was never happier to see another person in his life.

Atemu clasped the small body closer to him, the boy tucking his head under his chin. The small teen fit so perfectly against him. Maybe there was some truth to that book after all.

"You are a very special person, little one. And I need you to come back to the land of the living. If you stay here, you will die."

"If I come back, those men will come after me." Yugi sobbed as he snuggled closer to the muscular chest that he was pressed against. For some reason, he felt safe, protected in this man's embrace. It was too bad he couldn't get a good look at him. It would be nice to know who his savior was, but his eyes just wouldn't focus, he was so tired, so hurt.

"I won't let them get to you. I will protect you little one, with my life if need be. But I need you to come back." Atemu soothed the shivering teen with his hands, softly rubbing his back.

"I don't know how. I don't know where I am, or how I got here."

"We're inside your mind. Just concentrate on my voice little one. I'll help you." Atemu eased back onto the bed, taking the small teen with him.

The agent wasn't really sure how he knew they were inside the teen's mind, but somehow he knew it for a fact. Just as he realized that there was more to this small teen than what met the eye. And it was time for them to return to the real world. The teen couldn't hide himself away forever, no matter how bad the pain was.

"I-I'll try." Something about the man's smooth voice soothed Yugi's nerves. He could listen to that voice all day. It was deep and strong, lulling the teen into a sense of safety, of security, even in all the chaos. He could even swear that he had heard that voice before. But where, he had no idea.

"Come with me Yugi. I know you can do it. Come on little one, I'm waiting for you."

…Yugi opened his eyes, to see the most stunning features he had ever laid eyes on. The beautiful stranger who was holding him tightly gave a light shudder, before opening his eyes. Yugi gasped, his rescuer was the man with the devil's eyes, the one who had previously tried to kill him. How did he not notice this earlier, when they were talking?

The small teen scrambled up and out of the man's reach before Atemu could even react. "You! I remember you! You tried to kill me." He backed up until he hit the wall, to slide down to the floor. There was no where to go now, no place to hide. He was dead this time. Yugi started to sob.

What? Just a moment ago, the boy was holding onto him as if he were his only hope of salvation. What went wrong? Atemu made to help the teen off the floor, not understanding what he had done wrong. It was a bad move on his part

With a glare at his attacker, the small teen decided that it was time to fight back. Using a strength he didn't know he possessed, Yugi lashed out and knocked the man off balance as he tried to attack, pushing himself off the floor in an attempt to escape. To where, Yugi had no idea. But if he didn't want to die, he couldn't just give up. He had to find somewhere safe.

Atemu had just about had enough, swearing roughly as he caught his balance. This was the third time that his young charge attempted to do him bodily harm. He grabbed a hold of the boy as he shot past, catching him around the waist, pulling him back tightly against his body.

"Enough Yugi!" The agent roared at the struggling teen.

Every movement the small teen was making sent a warm, tingling sensation straight to his groin. His member reacting violently to the soft, slender body pressed against him. Atemu groaned - this was definitely not the time. He tried to reign in his body's response before he did something he would regret. His small charge was already afraid of him. And if he couldn't control his body's reaction to a simple touch, the boy would be even more frightened, and rightly so.

"Damn it, listen to me! I'm not here to hurt you. I'm the only friend you have right now." He hissed at the boy, tightening his grip on the boy's slim hips. "I told you that earlier."

"B-but y-you tried to k-kill me." Yugi gasped, pushing ineffectively at the slender hands that held him tightly. His pitiful struggles did little to loosen the grasp those hands had on him.

The small teen recognized how tenuous his situation was. He had no idea where he was, or how to get out of here. Slowly he stilled, settling into the embrace, his body trusting even if his mind wasn't willing to. Crystal clear drops spilling down his face. He was so helpless. Yugi was praying that this man with the exotic eyes was here to help him, like he did in that strange room.

"I-I'm sorry about our first meeting little one. I don't even know what I was trying to do. I was a little…overzealous. But you trusted me the last time we talked. Do you not trust me now?" Atemu whispered huskily, loosening his grip.

Yugi trembled as the warm breath blew past his ear. He felt…almost protected in this stranger's embrace. What was it about this man that made him want to trust him? He didn't even know him. "We talked again? I-I didn't know that. I don't remember. I don't remember much since…"

Now that he knew the boy wasn't going to bolt, Atemu turned him so they were face to face, brushing the moisture away from his cheeks. "It's okay little one. You haven't been yourself for a while now. You've been here for two days now. This isn't good for you, to grieve this hard."

"I-I saw them…I saw what they did to my grandpa. He was…trying to save me. I don't know what to do, w-where to go. What do I do now?" Yugi's breath hitched. He was perilously close to breaking down again.

"I…can help you, if you want me to. I can take away some of the pain, help you bury what happened deep within your mind. It's only temporary, but it will get you past this stage. You need to be able to think, and in the condition that you're in, it's not possible." Atemu was torn between keeping his oddity a secret, and helping the young teen who was currently upsetting his orderly life.

The desire to help was overruling his need for privacy at the moment. As much as the young agent would have liked to have kept his unusual powers a secret, he needed to break his young charge from the grief that was currently holding him prisoner. And the only way to do that was to let him see part of what he was capable of.

"You can do that?"

"There are a lot of things I can do…that aren't exactly normal little one. Rearranging memories is just one of them." Atemu admitted truthfully.

Yugi thought it over for a minute. He believed the man when he said that he could do this. How could he not. Yugi, himself, had some secrets of his own. Like the fact that he could feel what other people were thinking. Not exactly read minds, but close. The small teen closed his eyes. To be free from this haze that was clouding his judgment. It would be so nice. But at the same time, he didn't want to forget what had happened that horrible night. He couldn't do that to his grandfather. Not after what the man had done for him. Those men needed to be brought to justice, and he was the only one who could make it happen.

"I-I don't want to forget him…forget what happened." Yugi laid his head on the man's shoulder.

It was so hard for him just to keep a coherent thought right now. The haze never left his mind, not even for a minute. At this moment, the ever present shadows were threatening to cloud him over again. He was willing to take comfort in any form that it came in, even his strange ruby eyed protector.

"You won't forget. If I do this, it will be as though it happened in the past. Not as clear, or as painful."

"If I can still remember him…then I'll do it. I-I just don't want to be alone. And when my grandpa was there, I wasn't alone." He sniffed lightly, rubbing at his eyes, looking for all the world like a small child.

"You're not alone. I'm right here with you little one. I promise." Atemu wrapped the small teen up in a tight embrace. "You're not alone."

Yugi pulled back to look into the man's exotic ruby eyes. "Who are you? Why would you want to help me?"

"My name is Atemu. I work for the FBI. I'm going to be watching over you until we catch the people responsible for your grandfather's death. As for why…I will tell you about it later, when you are thinking straight. Are you okay with that?" The agent ran his hand along the teen's face, comforting him with the soft touch. He just couldn't leave it alone. This boy was…well, he was lost and hurt, and to Atemu – he just couldn't stand to see him this way.

"I…Yeah, I guess. But what happens after? Where will I go then? Am I…I don't know, I don't have anyone left. Am I just left to go back to my life?" Yugi closed his eyes, trying to swallow his fears. This man, the one who was holding him so tenderly. He didn't know what to think about him. Should he fear him or should he…He couldn't focus.

"That is up to you little one. We need to focus on one problem at a time. We can discuss it at another time, when you're back to yourself. Come on, to do this we need to be comfortable. I have to be able to concentrate. I don't want to hurt you." Atemu tugged gently on his hand. The agent didn't want to give his charge the chance to slip back into his catatonic state. The sooner they did this, the better off the young teen would be.

Yugi nodded, allowing his rescuer to pull him over to the couch, where the man sat down, indicating that he should sit next to him. He sat lightly on the corner of the worn blue couch, gripping the edge with his hands so hard his knuckles turned white. The small teen wasn't sure what to expect. He still couldn't get over the fact that his life was destroyed. For what reason, he had no idea. He just wanted to go home. Home before those men destroyed his life. Now he had no home, no place to go.

"I want you to relax. Close your eyes for me little one." Atemu laid his hands gently on Yugi's temples, massaging softly.

The teen obeyed his command with a shiver, closing his eyes as one last tear slipped out. Atemu closed his eyes as well; he needed to concentrate on his task. The last time he had done this, it was to urge a witness's memories to the surface. And he ended up hurting the man badly, bringing that memory back out into the open.

The young agent didn't feel too bad for him though. It turned out that he had been the one to murder his girlfriend. And bringing those memories back to the surface only caused him to go insane with grief over what he had done. Justice was served as far as he was concerned. But he didn't want to harm his young charge like that; he had to be extremely careful.

Dark wisps of shadow extended out from the agent's fingertips, caressing the boy's face as he concentrated on finding the memory in question. Once it was found, he used the tendrils to push the memory back to the back of Yugi's mind. That done, Atemu pulled back his powers, the shadowy wisps returning to his body. It only took a minute.

Crimson eyes opening slowly, the agent asked "How do you feel?"

Bright amethyst eyes blinked open as Yugi thought on the question for a couple of minutes. "I feel…I don't know, not so foggy. It's like I know he died, but it was a while ago. I can remember some of the good times we had together. Not just that night. I can breathe."

Atemu smiled at his charge. "Would you like to take a shower and get cleaned up? I have some clothes here that might be a little big, but they'll work for now."

There was no reason to try and pry the information out of the teen right now. Even with his having seen the murderer's faces, he was really no help until they had a suspect or a place to start looking. At the moment, they had nothing to go on. He just wanted the boy to relax for a little while before he brought the subject up. They had almost a month before the next ritual. And right now, the boy needed to get himself together. They could do sketches later, after his charge calmed down enough to collect his thoughts.

Yugi smiled shyly at his rescuer. It was his first true smile in what seemed like ages. "I'd really like that."


	5. Chapter 5

"Lemme go! Put me down!" Jou beat on agent's back as hard as he could, feet flailing in the off chance of landing a groin hit. His legs were promptly restrained by a steely hand, and his fists didn't even faze the man.

When the stubborn teen refused to get out of the car, Seto took matters into his own hands. Hoisting the blonde over his shoulder, the agent carried him, kicking and squirming, into the tidy, white washed Tudor style house that they would be staying at, kicking open the screen door.

A slim pale haired boy was settled comfortably on the overstuffed sofa watching television when the noise erupted from outside. Hearing the shouts, Ryou froze like a frightened rabbit; until the flimsy door bounced off the wall from the force of Seto's kick. A terrified scream tore itself from the boy's thin throat, and he took flight to hide behind his protector.

He had only been safe for the past five months and it was not enough time for the nightmares to fade. Still extremely edgy, the slender teen spent half the time worried that someone would find them, kill his protector and take him back to the life he led before. And he couldn't deal with that, he wouldn't. Sobbing quietly, he hid behind his look-a-like as two men invaded his house.

"Son of a bitch! What the hell was that for?" Bakura barked, eyeing the duo from the other side of the living room. Reaching behind him, he settled a reassuring hand on Ryou's shoulder, grimacing when he felt it shaking beneath his hand. Great, just what he needed. His white haired charge was just beginning to show signs of healing, and now this.

"Nice to see you too, asshole. What a greeting." Seto sneered as he hauled his struggling burden over to the couch and unceremoniously dropped the furious teen onto the cushions.

Jou hit the couch with a thud and yelped, half in pain and half in indignation, and shot to his feet again. The second he was upright, he tried to take a swing at the man who had dragged him here. "Damn it! I told you that I wanted to see Yugi. You told me he was safe! I wanna see him now!"

Seto caught the teen's fist, refusing to wince when the strength behind it was much greater than he thought. He'd be damned if he showed this… this yelping _dog_ any weakness. Instead, he growled back his answer. "Your Yugi is in hiding right now. I refuse to call him up and risk his safety just for your comfort. So shut the hell up."

The ungrateful little shit. He should have been happy just to be out of danger, but no, he wanted to be with his friends too. Well that was just too bad. The blue eyed agent couldn't believe the gall this kid had. When Seto first met his charge, the first thing the teen did was to bite him. Of course, he wasn't entirely blameless, having pulled the blonde from the back of the cop car to dump him into his Mercedes. But the kid bit him! It was totally uncalled for. And now he was just being an ass.

"I will _not_ shut up. I wanna know where my friend is. You drag me halfway across the country…telling me that I will be able to see him. And when we get here, you tell me he's not here. What kind of bullshit operation you running here?" Jou snarled furiously, trying to wrench his hand from the other's grasp. He was ready to throttle his so called savior.

Jou had dozed off in the cop car not long after he and the detective had grabbed a quick bite of food. He wasn't even out that long before someone roughly picked him up, catching him unaware, and attempted to haul him out of his cozy spot in the back of the cop car. Jou lashed out, kicking his attacker in the leg, and taking a bite out of his arm for good measure. How was he to know that the man he had just bit was there to help him?

By the time the detective managed to separate the fighting pair, the damage was done. The blue eyed agent was furious, holding his bleeding wrist, the blonde teen holding his bruised cheek. Jou found himself pinned against the cop car, while the detective tried to shield him from his new guardian's wrath.

After the detective was assured that Seto was not prepared to commit any immediate manslaughter, a quick phone call was made to the man's superior. Following several harsh words passing between the detective and the agent in charge during the hasty phone conversation, Jou was reluctantly handed over to the glaring blue eyed agent.

Seto had promptly thrown him into the Mercedes, slamming the door on his new charge. And after that, Jou took pleasure in bating the blue eyed agent any chance he got. It wasn't hard. All he had to do was refuse to do what he was ordered. That seemed to set off the high handed agent more than anything else, like he was used to being obeyed in anything he did. Once the blonde learned that weakness, he exploited it each and every chance he got.

The two day ride to the safe house in Florida was no picnic for either of them. Between Jou's constant asking after his friend, and Seto's blunt refusal to give even the slightest bit of information, the two spent most of their time on the road fighting and squabbling over every topic that had the misfortune of being brought up. The crowning moment happened not ten minutes from the safe house.

Jou informed his new protector that he absolutely refused to get out of the car until he was able to talk to his smaller friend. Seto was livid. He couldn't believe the outrageous demands that his charge was making. The boy ought to be thankful that he was alive at the moment. Not making demands that couldn't be met. There was no way he would endanger his cousin's mission. When Shadi told him that no one was safe, he meant no one. The blue eyed agent couldn't even be sure his phone was untapped, that was why he left it back in Tennessee.

"I promised you no such…" Seto started.

"What the hell is your problem?" Bakura snarled at the duo, catching them both by surprise.

Bakura had been watching them clash for almost five minutes now, and frankly he was sick of it. He knew that his sometimes partner was a little high handed, but this was ridiculous. To refuse to let the kid know that his friend was safe, when the solution was fairly simple?

Both young men looked over, Jou now realizing that there was someone else in the room. The blonde's face turned scarlet with embarrassment. He hadn't realized the room was occupied, not having heard the greeting that his so called protector had uttered before. And now he'd made an idiot of himself in front of a couple of complete strangers, fighting with this icy-eyed man. His warden could have told him that there would be other people here. But maybe this white haired man could help him out of this situation.

Seto ground his teeth together loud enough for the sound to be heard in the silence of the room. When the eyes of the others landed on him, they could see the blue vein pulsing on his forehead. He really needed a drink. Bakura had better have some of the good shit.

"I wanna know that Yugi is safe." Jou broke in, his voice still heated. "I'm not just gonna take his word for it, I don't trust him." He added, glaring at the man he'd aptly named as his warden.

The blue eyed agent glared back haughtily, before turning on his heel and exiting the room. He walked into the other room, rummaging through the cupboard for something to drink, leaving Jou to recount how he came to be driving through the country with the dour agent. In his absence, the blonde made sure that the white haired agent knew very well how he felt about the man who was in charge of his case.

By the time Jou finished his story, Ryou was feeling secure enough to venture out from behind his protector's shadow. But the white haired teen didn't do much more than that, still feeling uneasy. Bakura stilled him with a gentle hand on his arm, a look passing between the pair, before returning his attention to his unwanted houseguests.

"Look, I have a simple solution to this little hissy fit that you two are having. I have a prepaid cell, I'll call Atemu. It can't be traced to me. So, if you two will just shut up for two seconds, this will all be over and you can find something else to fight about…and somewhere else to do it. You're scaring my charge with your angsty bullshit!" Bakura complained as Seto came out of the kitchen, a bottle of Bakura's Smirnoff in his hands.

"Fine, but you better explain to Atemu that you can't be traced. He'll have your head if those people find him. The kid that he's babysitting is extremely important in this case." Seto replied crossly as he took a swig right out of the bottle. He wanted no part of this. He wouldn't be the one to get his younger cousin caught by these people.

"Whatever, and put that back. That shit costs a mint." Bakura muttered, dialing his friend's number.

Seto snorted, tightening his hand around the bottle. Like hell he was giving this up, this was all he could find. He had been through hell the past two days. And he was going to get at least one drink to calm himself. Besides, Bakura and Atemu used to raid his collection when they were younger, on top of many other things. It was his turn to be annoying.

Bakura shook his head as he listened to the phone ring. Seto was still the same stuck up asshole as he had been when they first met. But then again, he had had his own moments too. Especially when they were first introduced.

The two teen's adoption had irritated the white haired teen at first. Shadi and Isis were the only two people in his family to pay him any attention whatsoever. He didn't even exist to his parents, who were always at some function or dealing with the running of their multimillion dollar corporation. They pawned him off on his aunt and uncle soon after they learned of his thieving ways. For rehabilitation purposes, he was told.

He wasn't there long before he realized that no matter how badly he behaved, someone would always care for him. It was then that he started to settle down - until the adoption. Then, he thought they were trying to replace him, that he wasn't wanted anymore.

But one night shortly after Seto and Atemu moved in, Shadi took the white haired youth into his den, and sat him down to explain their situation. Bakura had never felt so low in his life. He was envious of two people who were in a worse situation than he was in. Their parents were no longer living; they had no family to turn to. That night he almost felt blessed. He had his aunt and uncle, even if his parents couldn't have given a fig about him. He had the rest of his family. The two teens that they had adopted didn't even have that.

From that moment on, the white haired youth was bound and determined to make friends with his two new cousins. And it turned out to be easier than he thought, at least with Atemu. They both shared the same interests, and Atemu even held some of the same mysterious gifts that Bakura was exhibiting. They never told Seto though. It was their secret. The icy brunette had always been harder to get along with than his slightly hot tempered cousin.

"Yes?" The phone was picked up just before the eighth ring.

"Atemu? Is that you?"

"Bakura? Why are you calling me? I thought you were in protective custody." Atemu asked curiously. His adopted cousin knew better than to call at a time like this.

"Listen, I wouldn't, but Seto's down here. And he has a friend of your witness's with him. The kid's going berserk right now; he wants to talk to his friend."

Atemu put a hand over the phone. "Excuse me for a moment Yugi; we'll continue the game after I take this call."

The small amethyst eyed teen nodded silently before turning back to the video game they were trying to conquer.

The ruby eyed agent moved quickly from his place on the couch into the bedroom. He didn't want his young charge to hear any of this discussion. Something bad had happened to make his cousin go into hiding along with one of his charge's friends. And right now the boy wasn't mentally up to anymore nasty surprises.

"What happened? Why is Seto there? Why does he have one of Yugi's friends with him?" Atemu paced back and forth in the space between the bed and the closet, trying to keep his voice down.

"I don't know what went down. I'll let you talk to the boy; he can tell you more than I can. I'm just trying to settle an argument before it gets out of control."

"If you wouldn't mind."

Bakura handed the phone to Jou, who looked like he was going to pitch a fit if he wasn't able to talk to his friend any time soon.

"Hello?"

"May I ask who I'm talking to?"

"My name is Jou sir. Is Yugi there with you? If so, can I talk to him?" He asked respectfully. The voice on the other end of the phone sounded authoritative, commanding respect the moment he heard it. It also sounded younger than he would have thought.

"I'm afraid not. At least not at this moment. Look, Jou, I need to know what happened."

Jou snarled. Commanding voice or not, he wasn't saying a word until he knew how his small friend was. "Why does everyone want me to talk, yet they aren't willing to do the same. I don't think so. You tell me how Yugi is first. I wanna straight answer. _Then_ I'll tell you what happened."

Atemu sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. He's conscious. I don't know if he's okay, I'm going to wait and reserve judgment on that right now. It's all I can tell you for the moment. What happened?"

"Whaddya you mean ya don' know? How the hell can you not know?" Jou snapped.

"I mean he's…today is the first day that he's been conscious. I'm not going to let him fall back into the state he was in previously. I know you want to talk to him, but right now it's not a good idea. Give him some time to digest everything. Now are you going to tell me what happened, or not." Atemu rubbed his temples against the oncoming headache.

"Fine." The blonde shot Atemu's word back at him.

Jou explained his predicament, starting with the disappearance of his friends, and ending with his forced trip to Florida. He left nothing out, not even his attack on his protector. Atemu had to swallow a laugh upon hearing that comment. It sounded like his cousin had his hands full with his feisty charge. But the news from Yugi's hometown was discouraging to say the least. Now that Yugi was unavailable, it seems that the men were targeting his friends. The ruby eyed agent hoped that his coworkers would be able to track down the rest of the boy's friends and get them away safely.

Before they ended the conversation, Jou had a question. "Will ya please look after Yugi? Make sure he stays safe. Please, he's the only friend I have left."

"You may depend on it. I will call if there are any changes. And I may be able to let you talk to him in a week or so. I don't want you to think that I'm keeping the two of you apart for no reason. I just don't want to undo all the progress that was made yesterday."

"I understand." Jou said in a defeated tone.

The moment Atemu hung up the phone, he dialed Shadi's number. He needed more information. He needed to be ready in case something else happened. But there was no answer. Perturbed, he left a terse message for the bald agent to call him back as soon as possible. He didn't want to tell his young charge anything yet. All that would accomplish would be to put him right back in the state he was in when he first arrived.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Sorrowful amethyst eyes took in the scenery in the quiet haze of the early morning, as a dense mist rose up off the moss covered ground. With the tall green trees and shrubs surrounding the picturesque little cabin, it was beyond beautiful. But, in reality, Yugi saw none of it as he sat, curled up on the antique porch swing. The petite teen had only come outside this morning to catch a breath of fresh air, and think about everything that had happened recently. And he still wasn't finished sifting through all of his thoughts, even though he had been sitting out here for well over an hour. It was so hard to believe that he had been here for two weeks.

Two whole weeks of hiding out in this quaint little cabin in the woods, having nothing to do with his time but sit around and worry over what was going to happen to him. The suspense was grating on his nerves. He woke up this morning, before the sun even made an appearance, to discover that his mind was not going to let him shy away from the memories any longer. It was time to sort out his chaotic thoughts.

Gazing listlessly at the spectacle nature created, he tried hard to think of anything other than his grandfather. But his mind kept gnawing on the edge of the memory like an old bone, returning again and again to see if there was anything left to pick at. If those men hadn't killed his grandfather, he wouldn't be here - hiding out in this beautiful, secluded little cabin, with his sexy albeit bipolar roommate. And both thoughts bothered him immensely.

He was still uncertain about his new guardian. The man was an enigma. Most of the time he was surly and distant. But if Yugi showed even the slightest bit of emotion, he was right there, giving him a shoulder to cry on. Frankly, he didn't know what to expect from the man, he was so unpredictable. And to make matters worse, every time those intense ruby eyes glanced his way, the small teen felt even more unsettled, butterflies taking flight in his stomach.

"What brings you out so early little one?"

Yugi jumped at the sound of the deep tenor voice. He turned quickly, to catch sight of the person his thoughts were centered on as he sauntered across the front porch to sit down beside him, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. The man was dressed in a pair of figure hugging black jeans, and nothing else, his muscular chest bare to the chill of the morning breeze. It didn't seem to bother him, even though it was cool enough for his coffee to give off fragrant wisps of steam, so Yugi didn't comment. It wasn't as if he could breathe properly anyways, looking at that broad, caramel colored chest.

"I…oh nothing really. I just got up and couldn't get back to sleep. I came outside to think things over." Yugi could feel the heat rise to his face. He turned to study the landscape, rather than face the man who was staring at him with such intensity.

"The memories are coming back to the surface, aren't they?"

It wasn't a question really. It was more of a comment. Yugi shrugged. But he felt the need to explain himself. "A little, yes. They're not that bad though. Honestly."

Atemu grunted, tightening his hands around the steaming mug. His charge was a bad liar. He could hear the boy crying out in his sleep from his place on the couch. It was where he had started sleeping ever since that first night, when he realized that he may do more harm than good sleeping in the same room. He couldn't keep his hands to himself. And this was an entirely new experience for him.

Any other time, any other person, and he couldn't have cared less. But this boy, he couldn't seem to keep him out of his thoughts. It was distressing, to say the least. Somehow, though, despite starting his nights out on the couch, he always ended up waking in the morning to find himself curled around his small teenage charge, both lying comfortably in the large bed.

He had made up his mind earlier in the week that he would just ignore the boy, unless it had something to do with the case. He needed to keep as much distance between them as possible. But this morning, when he was getting a cup of coffee he saw his young charge sitting outside, looking so lost, as he stared at the surrounding forest. The ruby eyed agent walked outside before he could stop himself.

"Do you think you're up to looking at photographs yet?" Atemu cringed the moment the thought left his mouth.

What he really wanted to know, was why the boy would blush whenever he looked his way. It was really kind of endearing, the way the color stood out against his porcelain skin, those beautiful amethyst jewels glowing, before glancing shyly away from him. Just the memory of that look and Atemu's pants tightened uncomfortably. The boy was entirely too beautiful. And his natural shyness and vulnerability just increased his appeal.

Yugi glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye, before quickly looking away again, his face coloring. What was it about this man? If he wasn't so afraid of him, the teen could swear that he had a crush. But that couldn't be it. Maybe it was just the aftermath of what happened. Or a type of hero worship. Yeah, that was it. Nothing more than a dose of old fashioned hero worship_. Yeah, right._

"I guess…It's so peaceful out here. But don't you feel like you're all alone…What I mean is do you ever get lonely here? It seems like we're in the middle of nowhere." Yugi fumbled, trying for a change of topic. He wanted to get to know the person that he was going to be living with for god knew how long.

For a moment, it didn't seem as though the man heard him.

Atemu mulled the question over. There were different types of being alone. To him, it wasn't as if he were alone out here. Here, he could be himself. Out here, he could do what he wanted, and no one thought he was odd. No, he couldn't honestly say that he felt lonely. At least not any more than he did in a crowded room full of people who would never understand the freak that he was.

"No…but then again, I've always been a little odd." Atemu answered cryptically.

Yugi thought he was going to add to his comment. So when he didn't, the teen turned to him, curious. "What do you mean odd?" He assumed the agent was talking about his abilities, but that didn't make him odd. At least not to Yugi. Maybe he was talking about something else?

His interest was piqued when the crimson eyed agent did nothing more than shrug. He could clearly feel the man's unsettled thoughts. Closing his eyes, Yugi attempted to scrutinize the medley of conflicting emotions that his protector was giving off. All of a sudden, a wall went up, cutting him off completely from what he was trying to examine. He glanced quickly at the man, to see him staring back, an unsettled look in his exotic eyes. He quickly looked away.

"Why don't we take a look at those pictures now?" Atemu got up from his place on the swing, walking back into the cabin.

Yugi sighed uncomfortably, uncurling from his place on the swing and following him into the house. That was strange. For a moment, he could have sworn that the man knew what he was trying to do. But that was impossible. No one had ever known about his intrusion into their thoughts.

Hell, most of the time he wasn't even trying to eavesdrop. Other people's thoughts just happened to come to him in the form of images and feelings. But this, this was different. This time he had to make a conscious effort to go after what was sent his way. And he may have gotten busted for it. But it was hard to tell, his guardian wasn't the easiest to read.

Atemu strolled into the living room and booted up the computer, clicking onto the download that Shadi had sent him earlier. Then he indicated for Yugi to take a seat in front of the screen, showing the boy briefly how to maneuver through the endless faces of known offenders.

The agent was pretty sure this wasn't going to work, but he had to try. And he needed some time to think. He had the feeling earlier, like someone was trying to invade his mind. The touch was gentle, as if it meant no harm, but it still freaked him out. Only Bakura was able to do something like that, and his cousin was nowhere near. That only left one person. But the touch, if it happened, was too light for him to be positive. Until this, the boy exhibited no unnatural abilities, no signs of anything odd. Honestly, Atemu would have figured him for normal. Now he wasn't so sure.

"I'm going to get us some breakfast. Just call out if you see any faces that look familiar. I can't sketch, and it's going to be a while before I can get you to someone who can, so this will have to do for now."

Yugi nodded solemnly. Taking that as his cue, Atemu made his way into the kitchen in search of food.

The amethyst eyed teen watched as his protector wandered into the kitchen, his eyes lingering on the man's backside. As soon as Atemu disappeared from view behind the fridge door, he went back to the screen, his face a curious shade of crimson.

He really didn't want to do this. He had a hard enough time with this memory. Yugi glanced at the first set of faces, comparing them to the faces in his memories. The men he saw that night all looked like upstanding citizens. So far, all he saw on the first couple of pages was a bunch of tattooed bikers.

The teen sighed. He could remember the blonde man in the policeman's uniform and the bald man with the mole on his face. Other than that, none of their features really stuck out in his mind. But he continued looking at photos, if only to please the man in the other room. He had irritated the agent enough for today, attempting to read his thoughts. Or at least he might have.

Atemu was in the middle of making them an omelet when his phone gave off a shrill beep, startling him enough to slosh uncooked egg over the top of the stove.

'Shit!" he exclaimed, turning off the burner and grabbing his phone from its place on top of the counter. The egg would have to wait until it cooled down before he would touch it.

"Yes?"

"Atemu, are you alone?" Shadi's voice answered his query.

"Kind of…why, what's up?" Atemu drifted out of the kitchen, pointing towards the bedroom. Breakfast would have to wait for a few, this conversation could not.

Yugi looked up to see that his protector was on the phone. When the agent pointed to the bedroom, he nodded. Atemu wanted privacy. The teen waited until the man was out of the room, before turning back to the computer. If only he could hear what was going on. But every time the agent got a phone call, he automatically took off for the other room, out of Yugi's earshot. It was exasperating.

More and more the feeling of being left out of something important was weighing on the teen's mind. But, there was more than one way to find out what was going on in the outside world. He wasn't about to try to hear the conversation through Atemu's mind, not after last time. Besides that, he had the whole world at his fingertips right now. The agent had satellite internet!

"I'm out of hearing range. What's up?"

"There was another body found today. The man's name was Amelda Warsaw. He's an officer from Minnesota. His body was found not far from the two teen's that were reported missing over two weeks ago."

"I take it from the tone of your voice that you've found Yugi's friends then." This was not what Atemu wanted to hear, but he had been expecting this phone call. He never thought that the two missing teens had a prayer in hell.

"Yes. They've already been identified. The wounds are identical to the others. The mark was carved into their chests. It's the same way with the cop. I have Malik and Marik looking into this Warsaw's life. The precinct in Minneapolis says that he has a younger brother living with him, but no one's been able to contact him. I sent the two of them out there to look around yesterday."

Shadi let the information sink in for a moment, before dropping a bomb. "I think that this kid just became the group's 43rd victim. He's the right age, and when Marik called from their apartment a few moments ago, he said there were signs of a struggle. And someone painted another symbol in blood on the wall."

Atemu squeezed his eyes shut. This murder would be on his head. He had the witness to bring this group down, but he had been too afraid to put the boy through any more trauma then he'd already been through. And now another life was lost due to his procrastinating.

"Atemu?" Shadi questioned hesitantly.

"I'm here. Damn Shadi, I thought they would hold off for at least another week. I…" The ruby eyed agent ran his hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Atemu don't, there wasn't anything you could have done. We have no idea where to look until they strike. We just need to concentrate on finding this boy. And you, you need to work with the witness. It will come to you."

This deviation from the norm was disturbing to Atemu. The group usually waited until three days before the Harvest moon, at least according to the timeline that Isis emailed him. But the full moon was still a week and a half away. What went wrong? As Atemu fretted over what Shadi had said, he almost missed the last comment.

"W-what did you say?"

"I said that it will come to you, how you need to deal with the witness. It will take a little time to bond. He's had it rough lately."

The off handed comment brought Atemu back to the night that he had left his coworkers, witness in tow. "You…you knew. And you didn't say anything! How? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I had a feeling Atemu." Shadi corrected his protégé. "I didn't _know_ anything for certain. It wasn't until the moment I saw the two of you together that I was positive. Not only do the pair of you look alike, you both give off the same aura."

"What? How in the…"

"You read the book, correct? Some things you need to discover for yourself. And Atemu, you're not the only one who has been called a freak. Just remember that. I know how hard it is to deal with the fact that you are different. And I know it was you who was manipulating the silver ware that night. I have to go now, I'll keep in touch."

Atemu's face turned red at the comment. Before he even had a chance to remark, the phone went dead. It wouldn't have made a difference, he was pretty much speechless after finding out not only did Shadi have some bizarre abilities of his own, but that he knew that Atemu was the one who twisted the spoons into artful designs the two days they were on surveillance. His respect for the man grew exponentially.

He shut the phone off and sauntered back into the living room, expecting to see his witness obediently flipping through the many mug shots that he had to go through. Instead, what he saw was Yugi's tearstained face, as the boy's head shot up the moment he entered the main room. Atemu had to give the kid credit, as he attempted to wipe his face clear of the moisture and put on a smile. But he wasn't fooled.

"Little one, what happened? Did you see one of the men?" Atemu made his way over to the teen. Was that a hint of guilt he had seen in his eyes? Why?


	6. Chapter 6

Busted! Yugi had been surfing the web, looking for news from his home town. He didn't have to go far; the news of his friends' disappearance and murders was plastered all over Yahoo. When he saw Atemu reemerge from the bedroom, he tried to erase the evidence of his knowledge, quickly clicking off the web page. But he couldn't help the tears forming in his eyes.

"Yugi, what did you see?"

The trembling teen started to back away from his protector. The man was going to be so aggravated with him. He had given his word that he wouldn't go looking for news about his case. Not until the agent said it was okay. And with the man's uncertain temperament, Yugi wasn't quite sure how he was going to react. It was better just to stay out of arm's reach.

Atemu reached the computer just as Yugi backed into the island counter that separated the living room from the kitchen, arching an eyebrow at the teen's odd behavior. He glanced down at the screen to see that his charge hadn't made it off the third page of mug shots. Typing in a couple of commands, the site where Yugi had been surfing popped up. The ruby eyed agent glanced up at his charge, then back at the screen, his eyes widening when he saw what upset the teen.

Atemu's first reaction was plain and simple. _Shit!_ His charge wasn't supposed to have seen that! Now the boy was going to have another breakdown, just when he was beginning to recover from the last one. That was followed rapidly by a more diverse reaction of essentially the same nature.

'Damn it! This is why I hate babysitting duty!' Atemu raged to himself, as raked his hand through his wildly colored locks. "Fucking kid is going to freak now.'

Yugi's head shot up upon hearing the comment, drawing him quickly out of his shock. The small teen glared through his tears. Babysitting? So this man thought he was nothing but a burden? A kid? Well, he'd show him kid.

"I am not a kid! A-and if that's the way y-you feel about me…" He spun around and marched towards the front door, not even bothering to finish the sentence.

Atemu stared hard at his charge, stunned. He knew he didn't say that out loud. This boy…this boy _could_ read his thoughts! Then he hadn't been imagining it earlier. He crossed the room at breakneck speed, slamming the door shut just as Yugi managed to open it a crack, and spinning the teen around to face him.

"That is in no way how I feel about you," Atemu snarled, his nose centimeters from the other boy's. Yugi stared back, his eyes wide with fear, before ducking his head, refusing to meet Atemu's burning crimson gaze.

"You want to know how I really feel about you, Yugi?" Atemu whispered hoarsely. Pushed beyond the point of reason by the look of complete vulnerability in the teen's amethyst eyes, he pressed his body up against the trapped teen, pinning the smaller boy against the unforgiving wood behind him. Initially he had intended to drag the boy back into the room for a lengthy discussion, but once their eyes met the agent lost all thought of what he was doing. Nothing existed but the two of them.

Yugi barely managed to lift his head in time. Atemu was so close to him that he could smell the mint toothpaste the agent had used earlier, before a pair of soft lips descended onto his, incredibly gentle compared to the brutal body pinning him to the door, and the teen was drawn into his first kiss. Those silky lips moved slowly over his, touching, tasting – demanding that he comply with their intentions.

He gasped in amazement, giving Atemu full access to his mouth. A smooth tongue darted in to taste him, the kiss becoming all the more arousing. He grabbed onto the man's bare shoulders for balance as the kiss deepened, taking him to another world. A hand grabbed his backside, pulling him so tightly against the muscular body that he could feel the man's arousal through his jeans, the other one entwined in his hair, holding him still so the man could ravage his mouth. He couldn't help the pleasured moan that escaped his lips as Atemu taught him the meaning of word erotic.

One taste. That was all it took, and the ruby eyed agent was lost. The dilemma of right or wrong was wiped from his mind as he held the diminutive teen tight, using his tongue to plunder the boy's mouth. One hand wrapped itself in the teen's thick tricolor hair; the other one coming up to cup the teen's perfectly shaped rear end, pulling their bodies together, his hardened length coming in contact with the teen's arousal. Hearing the boy's moan of approval, he deepened the kiss, running his tongue over the other's, coaxing it out to play as he ground his body against his willing captive's.

This boy, his charge was so beautiful. Wait, his charge…the witness! Atemu quickly withdrew, berating himself. This should not have happened! He had no right to trap the small teen against the door and ravish him like this. He let go, and the boy almost fell to the floor in shock, catching himself only by grasping onto Atemu's shoulders.

All of a sudden, Yugi found himself snapped back into reality when Atemu broke away. His legs wouldn't support his weight, so he grabbed on to what he held so tightly before, not daring to look up. That was his first kiss. Oh god, that was his first kiss! His face bloomed with sudden color, as he studied the carpet.

"I'm so sorry little one…that shouldn't have happened. I was in the wrong." Atemu held Yugi's elbow until the boy was steady on his feet, and then hurriedly turned to leave. The more distance between the two of them, the better off they would both be.

"Wait!" Yugi cried out.

Atemu turned around but he didn't look up, shame evident in his defeated posture. He was waiting for the teen to object to what he had done, and he deserved every last bit of tongue lashing that the boy could give. His behavior was reprehensible.

But before Yugi could say anymore on the situation, his now working brain reminded him of the one person's name he hadn't seen on the list of dead friends, and a wave of horror overtook him. Here he was, safe, enjoying his first kiss – even if it was confusing - when one of his friends was still missing, possibly even dead like the others. Clutching his head, Yugi gave a soft moan as he slid down to collapse on the floor, suddenly on the verge of panic

"Jou! Oh god, where's Jou!"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Tortured screams were heard well above the soft chanting in the large candlelit room. The twelve dark robed men kneeling before the altar tried to keep their concentration on their spell throughout the cacophonous noise. This was the third and final day that they would have to listen to those unnatural shrieks. They would know very soon if their offering was received well. The man in front kept his head bowed, his long white hair hiding his face as he led the mantra.

An antique grandfather clock stationed to the side of the stone altar struck for the twelfth time, ending the ritual. A distinct, wet tearing sound was heard just before the last choked, gurgling gasp of the dying sacrifice, indicating the end of the ritual. The white haired man turned to watch as a dull strand of light ascended slowly up into the air, escaping from the torn and broken remnants of body that was chained into position over the altar. The light only rose a few feet before, from out of nowhere; a dark silhouette sucked it up into the shadowy vortex whirling around the top of the room. That was it; it was time for the shadows to hear their plea.

Rising, the man shed his long cloak and approached the altar, exposed, showing that he was not coerced, or armed in any way. He was always sort of nervous each time he did this, for if anything went wrong, he would be the first to pay the price. Kneeling before the many lit candles that were placed carefully around the stone altar, he waited to be acknowledged.

From out of the gloom above the altar, a multitude of rasping voices was heard. "What isss it you wissshh in exxchange for the deed done today?" demanded the hissing chorus, sounding like so many hellish snakes. The sound shook the high ceiling room to its foundation.

"We humbly request the same as we did before. Our needs have not changed yet." The man knew better than to mince words with the entities that were in the room tonight. All it would take would be one wrong word, and _he_ would be on the receiving end of the ritual, which was not where he wanted to be at all.

"You wisshh for more power…more control." The words were spat back at him. "We can grant this wisshh of yours…but the next time you approach usss…you will need a better offering than thissss puny soul. You have been around a powerful being…one of the essscaped…We can sssee tracesss of his aura on your men once again. Do not be ssso foolisshh asss to hold out on ussss…"

The man shuddered. Of course he did this every time he heard the many voices of the shadows. But this time was different. There was a noticeable threat implied in their ramblings. Normally they just did as he bid them. After all, they were usually sated with the offering. What went wrong this time? It would be in his best interests to placate them before something bad happened.

"I have not held out on you. Really…we have no other in custody. We almost had one, but he got away. Is this who you are referring to?"

"We are referring to the one who left tracessss of his aura on three of your men… you cannot be sssso blind asss to missss that…the next time you call on ussss…It would be in your besssst interesssst to offer him…the New Moon would be a good time…until then we sshhall grant your wisshh temporarily."

In a maelstrom of wind and darkness, the shadows fled, the many candles scattered about the altar - blown out, pulling the room into total darkness. Once the winds died down, one of the minions lit a small candle throwing a dim light around the room.

The man rose to his feet, shakily gathering his robes about him. This was not good. Only rarely did the shadows accept a sacrifice on the New Moon. And never before had they actually demanded it. Thinking back, they did request it once before. He wasn't leading the group at the time. That was the job of his predecessor, but he did remember the occasion.

The group had made contact with a tall, lanky teen by the name of Mahado. He would always remember the name, it was so unusual. But they chose to use a different victim due to availability. The situation was somewhat different than this one. Last time, the shadows accepted the sacrifice, and then requested another at the new moon. This time, it wasn't a request. This time it was a demand.

Well, they would just have to find that kid. He was pretty sure that he knew which one the shadows were talking about. They got riled up the last time he came into contact with the boy. And that was over twelve years ago. The time for playing around was done. If they didn't find the kid, then all of their carefully laid plans would be ruined. And since they only had a couple of years left before their dreams were fulfilled, he wasn't going to give up. On top of that, it was his life that was on the line if they didn't find the kid. And that wouldn't do at all.

Giving the mutilated body a disgusted look, the man snapped at one of the twenty or so men stationed around the circular room. "Raphael, have a couple of your men dispose of this. Make sure they know the proper method."

And he and the rest of the robed men left the room in formation. He trusted his man to tend to what was required. He had never been let down before. Their contact with the sacrifice had ended with the confrontation with the shadows. It was time for him and the rest of his followers to take their ritual purification.

Raphael watched as his lackeys cleaned up the room, disposing of the candles and washing away the blood that had made it beyond the symbol around the altar. Everything outside that symbol had to be spotless, pure. No one had touched the body so far - that was the last thing to do. And only those who had been fully inducted into the group could do that. Everything was planned out in this ritual, right down to the burning of the body.

"Crouch, Bartlet!" He snapped at two of the underlings, both of whom turned to look at him. "The two of you are to dispose of this properly. And Crouch, remember…follow Bartlet's orders to a tee, disposal is still part of the ritual."

He crossed the stone floor, mindful of the ancient engraving, heading quickly for the exit. It would be his death if he stepped wrong. The shadows weren't very forgiving, and they were always watching - even if you couldn't see them. He needed to get out of here before he did something wrong.

As much as the large blonde liked the money that came with his job, he didn't like the goings on in that large, roughhewn chamber that was built into the rocky mountainside. The voices from the shadows intimidated him, more so than he let on. He would be happy to get away from here. But his boss might have need of him after the purification. He clearly heard the warning that the shadows gave a few moments ago.

As he reached the exit, he congratulated himself again on his choice. He could trust Bartlet to finish this, the man was dumb as a post, and followed commands like a lab rat – he would teach their newest member how to behave. The man needed it, just like he needed to learn to bathe. Where his boss came up with their newest was a complete mystery to him.

With one last check around the room, Rafael vanished through the black-curtained doorway, careful not to let his hand touch the blood-red silk symbol embroidered on the heavy fabric. No sooner had he made his exit than his men lined up and filed silently out of the room. No one even glanced at the mutilated body, other than the few who had had the privilege of carrying out the ritual. Those men gave the corpse a vicious leer before continuing on their way.

"Okay man, here's what we have to do." Bartlet said to his new comrade as he unlocked the thick chains securing the bloody remains to the altar. "We need to drive this thing to out to the site that's already been done for us, set up the pyre and burn it to a crisp. Oh, and there's a couple of words that need to be said over it before it burns."

"Why'd we hafta do that?" Crouch asked thickly, scratching at the crotch of his worn out jeans.

The thick, slovenly man was kind of new to this, having only been recruited by the 'management' two months prior. He hadn't hesitated on taking them up on the offer. It was either that or rot in jail for the rape that he was convicted of. Crouch was greedy and cruel enough to like what he had seen so far. It was just too bad he hadn't been one of the lucky ones, one of the chosen who got to get their jollies off on the victim during the ritual. He was wishing he were. He would have made it extra painful.

Barlet's beady eyes showed confusion. He had never thought to ask why, only to follow orders. "Hell, I don't know. I jes' do what they say an' I get paid. I ain't gonna question those men, not after what I've saw."

The rotund man had been with the group for the last ten years. They treated him good, giving him money and getting him out of jail – the three times he happened to screw up and get caught with a whore. He wasn't about to question their reasons. And if that weren't enough incentive for him to keep his mouth shut and do his job, the eerie voices he heard in this secret room off of the compound were.

After rolling the tattered corpse up into a plastic sheet, the two men hefted it between them, carrying it out to the waiting Mercedes. They, then, stuffed it unceremoniously into the trunk, checking to make sure that all lights were working before heading out. It wouldn't do to have the cops pull them over and ask to search the vehicle, even though they were supposedly on official Congressional business. And they had the papers to prove it. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

Their white haired leader watched solemnly, as the car took off, from a window in the dark stone building that stood beside the vast mountain. His gaze followed the car until it was out of sight, beyond the boundary of enchantments that protected the location. Letting go of the curtain, he faced the man who had come up to see him watching as the tall blonde kneeled before him, head bowed.

"Well Raphael? Where do you think you need to start looking? Have you figured it out yet?"

Raphael glanced up, meeting his superior's memorable eyes briefly. "I think so boss. The kid couldn't have just disappeared. I'll need to go back to his last known address and start looking from there. I will do this myself."

"I should hope so. You have until January first…four months. That should be enough time to make up for the little mistake that was made the first time we came into contact with the boy. Don't fail me." Disappointment was apparent in his tone.

Raphael bowed his head contritely. "I won't boss."

"I didn't think so. You may go. This time feel free to take down anyone in your way. And I do mean _anyone_, I will cover for you. It is imperative that you find this kid."

Raphael nodded once more before standing, accepting the mission.

The large blonde made his way to the door. It was his fault the kid got away the first time. He had failed to take into consideration that the kid's grandfather was old school CIA, that the man knew how to forge a paper trail - to vanish into thin air. It had taken them forever to find out where the kid was after that.

And it was only by a sheer stroke of luck that they even found him. If the boy hadn't registered for those classes, there would have been no record, no picture. It wasn't as if the kid had an ID or a driver's license, because he didn't. Raphael cursed himself for not finishing the job the first time.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Twenty four hours later:

"That's it. This's the place." Bartlet slowed the car, pulling off to the side of the road to turn down a small farm lane. They always picked a new location to dispose of the bodies, making sure that they were in an area where the remains would be found, but not traced to where the ritual was held. It was the boss's way of laughing at the cops. This time they had found the perfect location in New Mexico, three miles from one of the larger cities.

They had already done a test run earlier in the week, and all the wood that they needed for the pyre was in place. The only thing they didn't count on was rain. And from the threatening look of the pregnant clouds overhead, this was going to be a big storm. Oh well, beggars couldn't be choosers. The sooner this was finished, the sooner they could go spend their hard earned money.

Together the men lifted the body out of the trunk, talking about their mission. They dumped it onto the hastily made pyre. All they needed to do now was to say the incantation and burn the body. Crouch insisted they didn't even need to stay around until the deed was finished.

"Come on man, no one'll know. Then we go back to base and pick up our pay. It'll be easy." The man whined to his partner in crime. He didn't like the thought of being caught anywhere near the evidence.

Bartlet considered the suggestion. His partner was right, no one would ever know. The creepy voices were confined to the room. It was the only place he ever heard them, so his partner had to be right. After a moment, he nodded, having been talked into the idea.

The round man did the honors, pouring a little bit of siphoned gas around the smaller bits and pieces of wood before uttering the small incantation. Then he lit the match and threw it on the gas covered tinder. A small "Whuf" was heard as the dry wood caught fire.

"And that's that, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Crouch snickered conspiratorially to his coworker as he sauntered back to the car. They were finished here. It was time to head home.

Bartlet nodded and walked back to the car, looking back only once before climbing in the driver's seat. The two crooks drove away, heedless of the drizzle that was beginning to mist down upon the scene. It didn't matter if it rained; their work was finished as far as they were concerned.

Not five minutes after the men left, and the weight of the body crashed through the middle of the rickety pyre. Ten minutes after that, the rain began to fall…hard.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	7. Chapter 7

Atemu opened his eyes, to the adorable sight of Yugi clutching at his shoulders - amethyst eyes closed tightly, a scarlet blush spreading over his exquisite features - from where the agent had pressed him down against the couch. Damn, he did it again! This was the tenth time in as many days that he lost control like this! He really needed to stop, before his charge ended up scarred for life.

Atemu had been skeptical about the soul mate idea at first – even after the bringing the boy out of his comatose state. But, the more he was around his smaller look-alike; the more he was beginning to believe. It didn't matter though. He wasn't good enough for this beautiful angel. And yet he couldn't seem to stay away. All he was trying to do, originally, was comfort the boy when he saw that he was having a hard time dealing with his highly charged emotions. And he ended up kissing him again. This was too much.

"Damn it! I…" Atemu pulled back, raking his fingers through his wild hair.

As soon as he could, the agent was going to drop the teen with someone else who could truly protect him. He couldn't. Not when every time he turned around, he was molesting the boy. This wasn't good for the boy's mental health, not to mention his all-around health – if the bad guys came around when Atemu had his mind on other things. Besides, Yugi would be better off with someone else. Anyone other than him.

Yugi put a finger softly to his lips as he looked up at him from under his long, black lashes. "Don't, please. Just let me have this."

The small teen felt his face heat up at his last comment. Since when was he so forward? But it was true. Ever since that first kiss almost two weeks ago, he hadn't been able to think of anything else…Or mostly. He was still in mourning for his two friends, and his grandfather. But even then, his protector came to the rescue, by letting him talk for almost a half an hour with Jou on his cell phone.

The conversation did him a world of good, hearing Jou's voice. Apparently it did the same for Jou. The blonde was unharmed - pissed off - but unharmed. They both shed tears for their lost friends, and promised to keep in touch throughout their time in hiding. Jou even mentioned meeting another teen who was hiding out. The blonde told Yugi the kid's name was Ryou, but that he didn't know anything more about him than that. He also said that this shy, quiet teen had yet to say more than a word or two in his presence.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to…damn it this is getting out of hand!"

Atemu's husky voice brought Yugi out of his thoughts as he pulled them into a sitting position. Even though his words were harsh, ruby eyed agent hadn't let go of him yet.

"I'm okay, really, I just…"

At that moment, the agent's phone gave a shrill beep. Atemu scowled at the device, longing to chuck it across the room. But he got up to answer it anyways.

Yugi curled up into the space his protector had vacated. He was so confused, and becoming more so by the day. In the space of ten days, the man who was holding him so tightly had become so much more than just a protector. The small teen just wished that he could know for certain whether or not the agent felt the same way. The other was either kissing him into oblivion, or keeping his distance, his signals perplexing – to say the least.

"Yes?" Atemu mouthed his standard greeting into the phone, as he moved towards the bedroom for some privacy.

Yugi understood his need for privacy and stayed in his place on the couch, fiddling with his hands as he thought over their highly unusual situation. They really needed to talk about this. He needed to know where he stood. Did he really have a chance with the stunning, ruby eyed man? But their talk could wait until after the phone call.

Atemu hadn't even had time to shut the door to the bedroom before the caller voiced his greetings.

"Atemu" Came the not-entirely-unwelcome voice of his adoptive father. "They found the brother's body in New Mexico. Isis and I are flying there to sit in on the autopsy this afternoon. This time there was enough left to collect evidence."

Atemu sighed heavily. Although guilt for the boy's death still weighed on his shoulders, the fact that any evidence could be recovered was a blessing. "I wonder what happened. Can you email me a copy of the notes? I'd like to go through them." This group was damn near impossible to track. They were like ghosts, leaving behind almost no clues whatsoever.

"I can do that…How are things going with our witness?" Shadi asked hesitantly

Atemu sighed loudly. "Things are a little complicated right now. I don't know how else to describe it. I'm thinking that it would be best for him if I took him out to be with Seto. His friend is already there."

"Atemu…that would make his situation even worse than it is now. If you read the book, then you understand what you are to each other. What does he have to say?"

"Nothing yet. He doesn't know. I don't know how to explain this to him. Not without explaining everything and I don't think he could handle that right now. Not in the state he's in. Hell, he can barely handle being around me. All week he's either been crying or blushing. I don't know what to do with him!"

'Other than kiss him senseless' The agent's mind supplied. Atemu's answer to that comment was to slam his head back against the wall two or three times.

Shadi chuckled before admonishing his adopted son, hearing the noise. "The two of you are a special case, Atemu, you found each other. That is very hard for two half souls to do, especially those of your ilk. I only know of three other cases where that has happened. Let him read part of the book. You need to trust him with this information. The more he knows about his special circumstances, the better prepared he will be when they come after him."

"I know, I…How is it that you know so much about this? Barring the information from the book."

There was a long pause before Shadi answered his question. "… I've done years of research on this phenomenon. The book isn't telling the whole truth. There's more to these half soul occurrences than what you've read."

"Then why did you tell me to read it, if it doesn't have all the information?"

"I wasn't expecting our young witness. Isis may have been, but she never told me. His being found takes this case to a whole new level of danger. I wanted you to get your feet wet, and that book gives some truthful answers. Let him read part of the book. And no matter what, you need to stay with him. He's more than likely confused as to his feelings right now, as are you. Do not fret over it for the moment. The two of you will find your destiny. I have to go now."

"Keep in touch. Let me know what's going on." Atemu rolled his eyes. Great, leave it to Shadi to make cryptic statements like that. Any other time and the man would give him a straight answer.

"Take care Atemu, I will."

The agent hung up the phone; it was time to have a little talk with his charge, even though he didn't want to. He wasn't quite sure how to approach the subject, but it needed to be said, and without letting the teen know all that he had found out along the way to discovering what they were. He understood their circumstances, but that still didn't mean that he was worthy of even touching the angel in the other room. Not by a long shot.

When he walked out of the bedroom, he saw that his charge had moved, now standing with his hand on the wall, staring pensively out the bay window. The agent cleared his throat awkwardly, bringing Yugi's attention to him. It was adorable how the boy's face would turn a light shade of red every time their eyes met.

"Come here a minute. I think we need to talk."

Yugi sighed heavily, averting his eyes as he walked over to the couch to sit beside his protector. He knew what the agent was going to say – that this wasn't appropriate. But every time they touched, the small teen felt whole, complete. And he didn't want to lose that feeling, even if he had to beg.

"I already know what you're going to…"

Atemu put a finger gently against his lips to forestall the comment. "Listen to me before you say anything. I want you to understand why you are feeling this way towards me." At the teen's vivid blush, he continued. "And I do know how you feel; I just want you to know why you feel that way. Then you can decide what you want to do."

Yugi glanced away. "What do you mean – I can decide what I want? What about you? What do you want?"

"What do I want…? It's complicated little one." Atemu ran his hand over the boy's face, memorizing the contours. "If we had met under different circumstances…but this isn't right."

"Why? I mean why not? I do feel the same way as you do. At least I think I do." Yugi leaned into the gentle caress, closing his eyes at the soft touch.

Ever since that first kiss, the diminutive teen knew this was way out of the league of a simple crush. And he wanted more. He wanted this strong, wary man to touch him, to love him the way no one else had in his short life.

"That's just it, little one. You think. Right now you're emotionally drained after what has happened. It's not fair what my being around you is doing to your emotions."

"Atemu." Troubled amethyst eyes found equally troubled crimson, as Yugi changed the topic. He didn't want to hear the rest of the rejection he knew was coming. "What do these people want with me? Why are they hunting down my friends and family?"

Atemu let him change the subject, getting up from his place on the couch, to wander over to the thick file of paperwork that was sitting on the desk next to the computer. He selected almost 100 or so pages from the mess and brought them back with him, handing them over to Yugi. The boy deserved this at least, to know what he was, and why these people were after him. What he didn't need to know was what they wanted to do with him if they got their hands on him.

"There's a book that was found in your grandfather's house. It's got to do with ancient rituals. These might explain a couple of things to you. Go ahead and read them. I'll answer any questions you might have afterwards."

Yugi took the papers, giving Atemu a questioning look.

"Go ahead, read them. I have to do some work, so I'll be around if you have any questions." Atemu ran a hand gently over the side of the teen's face, before walking over to the computer to do some more research on the case.

Yugi looked up at the man when he touched him - another change in attitude. His protector could turn his feelings on and off like a light switch, and it was driving him crazy. It was just another normal day in crazy-town. The amethyst eyed teen rolled his eyes and took a seat in one of the soft chairs, to go over the papers. Whatever was in these pages was driving his protector to the edge of his sanity. If he ever intended on figuring the man out, here would be a good place to start.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi poured over the pages for hours. He was re-reading certain chapters for perhaps the fourth time when a thought struck him. This was almost like their normal daily routine. Atemu was sitting at the small desk in the corner of the room, working on the computer, emailing back and forth with Shadi and the others, gathering scraps of evidence into a folder.

Any other day and Yugi would be watching cartoons on the TV, or playing the many video games that Atemu had collected over the years. But this time, Yugi was doing his own research. His protector was finally letting him in, even if it was only reading something that he knew a little bit about. That wasn't the point. A small grin made its way to the teen's face, before he remembered that the man was watching him. The thought sobering him quickly, as he returned to the pages before him.

Every once in a while Atemu would casually glance up to see Yugi looking at the papers, an odd look in his eyes. Then the teen would look up and their eyes would meet - one or the other of them glancing away quickly, their faces red. It was nerve wracking. Atemu wanted to know what the boy's thoughts were. Would he freak out? Or would he understand what they were supposed to be? Or would he be disgusted, as so many people from Atemu's past were?

The agent turned his ruby gaze back to his computer, staring blankly back at the screen, thinking about all the different ways his charge could politely tell him to fuck off. And it would be polite; the ruby eyed agent had no doubt about that.

If Atemu were the nail biting kind that was exactly what he would be doing at the moment. He was so sick of being thought of as a freak. If just one person would understand…Well, Bakura understood, and so did Shadi and Isis, but they were his family. And other than the three of them no one even bothered to look past the bizarre talents that he had to see the person underneath.

First it was just the relatives that he was sent to live with. Then it was at the many foster cares, the schools, and finally at the academy. For the most part he was pretty good at hiding his talents – not even Seto had a clue, as close as they were. But when Atemu was bored or frustrated, his unnatural abilities seemed to manifest without his wanting them to. God he was such a fucking freak.

"Will you quit calling yourself a freak?" Yugi slapped the sheaf of papers down on the couch, the noise absurdly loud in the quiet of the cabin. Leveling a glare straight at Atemu, the boy let his exasperation flow out. "You're not a freak! I swear, just because you have a few…odd talents, anyways, it doesn't mean that you are a freak. Look at me; I can practically see people's thoughts without trying. If that isn't an odd talent, I don't know what is."

He stood up from his place on the couch, marching over to stand in front of the agent. The small teen had reached the boiling point with frustration; he had been listening to his protector, his rescuer, downgrade himself the entire time that he had been trying to read. He couldn't let the man think like that. It wasn't healthy. His whole attitude wasn't healthy.

Yugi's grandfather had called his talent a gift. And the small teen grew up thinking exactly that. To hear Atemu call himself a freak for exhibiting the same type of talent, it was wrong - on so many different levels. And Yugi wasn't going to put up with it anymore.

Atemu sat back in shock. Here was his normally quiet, pint sized charge, chastising him for having the same thoughts as everyone he ever came in contact with; barring his family. The notion of someone outside that circle caring so much was almost laughable.

A faint, disbelieving smirk began to curl the edges of his mouth, but he sobered as the full impact of it hit him. The boy was pissed off for his sake. No one had ever been mad for him. At him, yes, plenty of times. But for him? He couldn't remember such a time. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he met his charge's amethyst stare. It wouldn't do to let the boy go running around with the wrong idea. If he wasn't convinced Atemu was a freak… then the agent would just have to reinforce the notion.

"You think that little trick I pulled the other day was the total extent of what I can do little one?" Atemu forced his shock away as he rose smoothly from his chair, quirking an eyebrow at the impetuous teen.

"I…Uh, I don't…you have other talents?" Now that he was close enough to have to look up at his protector, Yugi was having second thoughts about taking him to task.

The ruby eyed man was quite unpredictable, and so good at hiding his emotions that the small teen wasn't able to predict what he was going to do after that outburst. Why, oh why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut? Lowering his gaze to the ground, Yugi berated himself for his show of temper. This wasn't the way to get the man to come around to his way of thinking. In fact, he probably just pushed him further away.

The small teen wasn't quite sure what had gotten into him. He had never been this bold before, preferring to stay in the background, never commenting on anything for fear that his remarks would make another person angry at him, and end up with him taking another beating. But if that book was right, then this man was his soul mate, and he couldn't let this stunning, sexy man continue thinking along the lines that he was.

"Come with me little one." Atemu's voice was even lower than usual; whether from anger or something else, Yugi didn't know. The teen curled in on himself, fidgeting, unsure of how the agent was going to react.

"I will show you exactly why I am a freak." Atemu rumbled, catching hold of Yugi's hand. The instant their skin touched the agent couldn't help but notice how right the contact felt. Taking a deep breath and a split-second of focus, he shook the sensation off. Yugi, however, wasn't so lucky. It was all he could think about, even as Atemu pulled him out the door, was the feeling of their hands intertwined together.

They walked for a couple of minutes in silence, as Atemu led the way out of the house and past the painted wooden shed in the back yard. It was nearing dusk now, perfect timing for what he was going to do. The two of them rounded the corner of the shed, and Yugi blinked in surprise. They had stepped into a clearing, a good fifty feet across, and made entirely of hard-packed dirt. Any grass and brush that might have been here was cleared away. The only things still remaining inside the tree line were a trio of bow-hunting targets at the opposite end of the field. Clearly, Atemu practiced archery when he came up here; one of the bulls-eyes still had an arrow embedded dead-center.

Shoulders tense, Atemu let go of the teen's hand and motioned him to stay still. Turning his back on the boy, he took three long, hard strides, stopped short and spun on his heel. He wouldn't quite meet Yugi's eyes; instead, he gazed slightly over the boy's head, a self-depreciating smirk on his face, and slowly raised one hand, palm-up. "I can't do this inside, you see. It's too unstable, and I'm not sure how well I can control it."

At first Yugi had no idea what the other was talking about, giving Atemu a questioning glance. He couldn't feel anything unusual, as he had the last time. He was giving Atemu a questioning look when a flicker of movement caught his eye. Yugi glanced down, and his breath caught in his throat. There, held cautiously in his protector's outstretched hand, was… Well, the only way the teen could describe it was to call it a shadow flame. A tiny, purplish-black fire, perhaps the size of a golf ball, was dancing in Atemu's palm

Atemu laughed mirthlessly. "Since you don't seem to understand how much of a freak I am, I think a simple demonstration is in order."

Without so much as a glance behind him, the ruby eyed agent flicked his wrist, sending the flame hurling towards the hunting target. His aim was as true with the fire as it was with an arrow. The tiny flame struck dead-center, and the bag of hay and dried grass burst into an eerie purple-green blaze. Within a the space of a heartbeat, it had completely disintegrated, a few bits and pieces of straw lying on the ground the only evidence left that it had ever existed.

Smirk firmly back in place, Atemu finished, throwing his last blow at the boy. "I'm not quite sure how I'm able to do that, but it's a lethal ability. I can also lean on people's thoughts to the point of convincing them that they are crazy. I've done it before. All it proves is that everyone was right from the start…I'm nothing but a freak of nature. And now not even you can deny it."

His emotions buried, the crimson eyed agent began to move back towards the house. That was it. Now the boy would know how much of a freak he really was. Everyone in his life found out eventually. Though, normally it wasn't through a controlled demonstration. It usually happened when he let his guard down, let his emotions control him.

But invariably their reaction was always the same. They would walk out of his life. Turn him over to the next person who would take him in temporarily. He had quit hoping for someone to care enough to not let his oddities scare them. He refused to care that the boy he was starting to feel so strongly for would turn away from him now… just like everyone else.

Yugi stared, disbelieving, at the singed patch of ground where the target had been only a minute before, Atemu's words still filtering slowly through the astonishment clogging his mind. The man's movement snapped him out of his trance; stepping sideways, he snagged a hold of the man's wrist as he passed, amethyst eyes glowing with emotion. Atemu stopped, staring blankly past him, a sculpture of a god with his beautiful, expressionless face and hard eyes patterned crimson and gold in the dying light.

"Please…" Yugi whispered, clinging to the man's wrist with all the strength he could muster. "Please don't walk away from me. What you just showed me was amazing. I've never seen anyone do that before. But it still doesn't make you a freak. Just because we have these talents doesn't mean there's anything wrong with us. My grandpa always told me that what I had was a gift. What you have is a gift, too. You just need to learn how to use it, control it. You're not a freak Atemu."

Receiving no reaction, Yugi slowly released the man's arm, staring blankly at the ground. Whatever he had said didn't matter. Not once did his guardian even look at him when he spoke.

When the boy made no move to leave him, Atemu's impatience overcame him. Raking a hand through his unruly hair, he turned away from the boy, letting out a violent hiss. "Why aren't you running? Any person with sense would be out of my sight as fast as they could! What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you understand that you should fear me?"

Yugi shook his head softly, scuffing his foot on the ground. "I don't fear you…at least not for that."

The ruby eyed agent turned around at the comment, astonished. The boy didn't fear him? What did he mean – not for that? Why else would his charge fear him? Had he done something else wrong, other than molest the teen? He knew that wasn't what Yugi was talking about, for the boy enjoyed those rare encounters just as much as he did.

"But you still fear me. Why?"

"It's not you that I'm afraid of…it's the circumstances. I know that you're just going to up and leave me. Leave me alone, like I was before. And I don't want to go back to that…Why do you look at me like you can't stand the very sight of me, yet when we kiss…?" Yugi trailed off, his face turning a bright pink. He hadn't meant to get into this conversation, but like every other time he was around this crimson eyed god, he stuck his foot in his mouth. He must like the taste of his size seven boots by now.

Atemu was slack jawed in astonishment. His little one didn't fear him? But rather feared losing him? What could he say to that? He couldn't stay. It wouldn't be right. The agent turned his glare towards the shed. His small charge was so emotionally drained right now; he probably didn't know what he was saying.

"Yugi, you've been through a lot the past month…"

Yugi held up a hand, shaking his head. "Don't, don't you dare bring up what I've been through! It has no bearing on this discussion. Damn it – I read that book too. I know what it means, even if you don't want to acknowledge it." He set his hand against the agent's toned chest, caressing softly. "For the longest time I wondered if I was crazy…I had the biggest crush on you. And you returned my feelings, even if only at certain times. And to find out that you knew the whole time, and yet didn't plan on saying anything, doing anything about it…why? Why are you going to drop me the minute you can find someone to take me in? Doesn't this mean anything to you?"

"It does mean something to me. But…I…" Atemu said as he reached up to caress Yugi's face, mimicking the patterns the boy was tracing on his chest, his senses drowning in those gorgeous amethyst jewels.

'I refuse to drag you down with me little one. I'm not worth it. What would you want with a man like me?' The agent thought to himself, closing his eyes against the gathering moisture. He truly hated feeling exposed, and that was how he felt ever since this one small teen entered his life a little more than a month ago.

"You are worth it." Yugi said softly, reminding Atemu that his thoughts were not his own. "You're worth it to me."

"No, I'm not," the agent snapped back, pulling away. "You have no idea what I've done in this life. I don't deserve your affection," Atemu added, half-under his breath as he hung his head, rooted to the spot.

Damn, he had forgotten what his little one was capable of, even after such a short period of time. But it didn't matter what the boy thought, he was still not worth it. He was nothing but a murderer, a freak that used his abnormal powers to kill another person.

_-He was ten when it happened. One of the older boys in his foster home had taken a liking to him, and not in a good way. Ushio was a bully, used to getting his own way. As a matter of fact, the sixteen year old pretty much ran the foster care. The woman who watched them only wanted the money, and she didn't care enough to go toe to toe with someone who outweighed her by at least fifty pounds._

_The older teen decided to make Atemu's life a living hell. Bewildered and frightened, Atemu could only put up with the constant groping him whenever the elder found him alone. He might have thwarted the older boy's plans, constantly staying in the company of the other children, but Atemu hadn't counted on Ushio's cunning. One night, the older teen had scared the foster mother into gathering up the younger children and going shopping, and the small ruby eyed boy found himself at the mercy of his older tormentor._

_Ushio forced Atemu to strip, and then he attempted to bind him to the bed. Even at the tender age of ten, Atemu was no longer any stranger to what one man could do to another. Even if you discounted Ushio's physical advances, the boy's bragging would have given him a fair idea. Atemu might have surrendered to the seemingly inevitable conclusion, if Ushio hadn't bent forward, halfway through binding Atemu's second wrist to the bed, and whispered in the small ear._

"_I'm gonna make you bleed, you little bitch."_

_And something in Atemu's heart froze. Terror dissolved slowly into nothingness; raw fury boiled up to take its place. The wild haired boy fought his captor with all the might in his being. Within moments, his wrists were torn bloody on the ropes binding him, and his face stung from open-handed blows. But that cold, icy core of anger refused to dissipate; if anything, it had grown, until suddenly the rage poured out of him, icy-cold yet burning hot, until he thought he was going to die, had to die in the sheer fury of it all…_

_And then he heard Ushio scream. _

_The fury that had poured from his body had coalesced, taking on an impossible, physical form, burning-cold black fire that was enveloping his tormentor in a hellish purplish flame. Still bound to the headboard, stripped naked and beaten half-senseless, Atemu could only watch in horror as his would-be rapist died in agony. When nothing was left but a charred, faceless corpse, the boy curled up against the headboard, hiding his nakedness, his terror, his everything, and lost himself in tears._

_Police were called to the scene as soon as the foster mother came home. They were baffled to find that the room was completely destroyed, all except for the bed that Atemu was tied to. He was taken to the hospital; the other children were taken to another home, and the case was left unsolved. And the number of incidents and foster cares rose from there.-_

Yugi shuddered. He had seen it all in that brief second when Atemu's mind was unguarded. Everything, from the first unwanted touch, to the end result. It was as lucid to him as if he had been the one living it. Never before had another person's thoughts come to him so loud and clear. It was as if Atemu wanted him to know what he had done. What he had done to survive. Tears filled his eyes at the thought of what his protector had had to endure.

The ruby eyed agent turned back towards the house. By now all light had left the sky, leaving only the thin glow of moonlight to guide them back to the cabin.

"And now you know why you need to stay away from me." Atemu murmured as he walked away.

'Oh no you don't' thought Yugi, lunging forward to snatch hold of his protector's arm for the third time that night. He was really going to have to watch himself, Atemu's attitude was rubbing off on him. In the real world, he'd have gotten beat for his behavior by now.

"That still doesn't make you a freak!" Yugi cried, exasperated. "You were defending yourself. Don't you understand…god, you were so young. If it weren't for your powers, you're the one who would've died. H-he would h-have killed you and I never would have m-met you at all!"

With that, the small teen promptly burst into tears, turning away from a thoroughly bewildered Atemu. Staring blankly at the teen until his common sense overwhelmed his shock, the ruby eyed agent finally gathered the crying boy into his arms and made his way into the house. The petite, amethyst eyed teen's attitude confused him. He should have been running in the opposite direction, not holding onto him as if he were the only person the boy could trust.

Atemu sat down on the couch and settled Yugi in his lap, rubbing his hands soothingly over the boy's back, whispering words of comfort. He hadn't meant for the teen to see what had happened prior to the incident. He was trying to scare some sense into the boy, not make him feel sorry for him. That should have been for him to remember, alone. He really hated to be pitied.

Yugi turned to face his protector, not letting go of the hold that he had. "I don't understand why you're ashamed of your talents. You did what you had to, to survive. No one would blame you for that. And I don't pity you…you're too strong for that."

Atemu opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The ruby eyed agent couldn't think of a single thing to say. Yugi put a gentle finger to his lips, the gentle touch wiping away the rest of the agent's unsettled thoughts.

"Please, no more. You can't continue to beat yourself up over this. It happened. I don't care what anyone else says. You're not a freak." Inwardly shaking, Yugi reached up and pulled Atemu's face down to his, initiating their kiss. He couldn't let his protector continue to think that no one cared. He cared, and that was all that mattered.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

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	8. Chapter 8

Detective Gary Feldman prided himself on being able to solve any case that came his way. But when this torture – murder case came to him, he automatically knew he was going to have to call in the big guns. The detective considered himself lucky that the FBI was more than willing to help. But as he drove around the town that night, he was still going over the scene in his head. Something wasn't right. And his mind wasn't going to let him rest until he discovered what it was that wasn't quite right about that particular scene. Spinning the car in a tight 180, the overweight detective made his way back to the scene of the grisly murder.

As soon as he pulled up in front of the house, he shut the lights off on his unmarked Caprice cruiser. Removing his bulk from the front seat, he ambled his way through the front gate and up the steps of the eerily silent house. What was it that he couldn't get out of his mind? The death occurred over a month ago, and he couldn't let it lie. As he opened the squeaky screen door, the answer came to him.

Of course, how could he be so stupid as to not notice that? It was the simplest little thing. There was no forced entry! Why on earth would a man who had been in hiding for a total of twelve years open the door to someone they didn't know? Or did they? Gary remembered the piece of blue fabric that had clung to the broken molding on the porch. If the old man didn't know who was at the door, why did he open it? Unless he was assured of his safety. And who would be…

The older detective didn't even feel the blow to the back of his head as he slipped into the darkness…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Doctor James." Isis greeted the tall, heavy set black man who was conducting the autopsy. The blood-smeared white lab coat he wore testified to recent time in the autopsy lab behind him. Despite this, the man always reminded her of one of the characters off of an old nineties television show 'The Fresh Prince of Bellaire'. He looked quite like the main character's stodgy uncle, only this man had a gentle, high toned voice.

"Miss Isis, it's good to see you again, considering the circumstances." The doctor replied quietly, taking off his blood stained gloves to hold his hand out to the elegant brunette.

"That it is. This is my husband, Shadi. Shadi, this is Doctor James. I did my residency in his hospital." Isis introduced the two men as she pulled on a pair of clean latex gloves.

"A pleasure, Dr. James. I've heard a lot about you." Shadi shook the larger man's hand.

"And I'll bet that none of it was good." Laughing at the befuddled look on the agent's face, Dr. James pulled on a new set of gloves himself and pushed his way through the swinging double doors. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

"By all means. What have you found so far?" Isis queried her old professor, as they all made their way to the table where the body lay. The two room morgue smelled of burnt pork, most likely from the half charred corpse that lay before them on the cold steel examining table.

"This poor kid died an excruciatingly painful death." Dr. James started. Pointing to different areas on the charred body with his scalpel, he outlined the many various injuries that were on it. "If you look really hard, you can see that there were symbols burnt into the flesh on both of the kid's palms. There are markings carved into his chest, like the rest of the victims, but these markings – although of the same type – are different symbols completely. Let's turn him over, and I'll show you where the real torture began."

The three worked to turn the stiff, unyielding body over. Once the corpse was situated on its stomach, the true horror of the ritual came into focus. This part of the body was not burnt at all, as if it had been resting face up when it was torched. But there were hundreds of crisscrossing welts on the boy's back, buttocks and thighs – some that cut deep enough to see bone protruding from the injury.

Shadi looked slightly green as he backed away from the table. "What did they do to him?"

"From what I'm seeing here, they practically flayed him alive. And there's more…this poor kid was raped repeatedly, to the point where he was torn so bad that I doubt he would be able to live a normal life, had he lived. I sent samples up to the lab to confirm the presence of sperm. But, did the two of you even notice what he was missing, when he was lying face up?"

Isis answered for them, as Shadi was too ill to do more than fidget uncomfortably. "He was castrated and sexually mutilated." She stated firmly.

Shadi looked at his wife, how did she know that? The front of the body was pretty well destroyed by the fire. He probably could have looked closer, but his concentration was elsewhere at the moment – on trying hard not to lose what little lunch he had eaten on the plane. His stomach was doing flip flops as he swallowed thickly.

"Very good. I can see that you still remember your anatomy lessons. With as burnt as this body was, it was easy to overlook if you didn't know what to look for." The doctor winked at Isis, earning a brief smile from the lady.

She turned to her husband. "If you looked close enough, you could still see some of the marks from where they cut into the flesh. He's missing both nipples as well."

Shadi nodded, understanding, but not truly paying attention to her words. It wasn't the smell of burnt flesh, nor the sight of the grotesquely mutilated body that was disturbing his senses. He had seen many other sights like this in his line of work. What was bothering him was that there was no residual soul left in this being. He noticed it the moment he laid his hands on the body. Nothing at all.

Usually, when the soul left the body, there was at least a mark left, not unlike a scent that is left on clothing after a person wears them for a day. But here there was nothing, nothing except the deep, permeating presence of malevolence. He had noticed that presence the moment he stepped into the autopsy suite. It cloaked the room like a noxious gas. And it was making him ill.

Isis and the doctor talked about the case, leaving Shadi to his thoughts. The bald man couldn't take much more. The longer he was in the room, the sicker he was becoming. Between the total nothingness that was left inside this body, and the deep seated presence of evil, it was throwing all of his senses into an uproar. With something between a burp and a sputter, the bald man took off out of the room like a shot, skidding in an undignified manner on the newly polished floor as he retreated to the nearest bathroom.

"Will he be okay?" The doctor asked as he turned back to his work.

"He'll be fine. He's not used to seeing them up close like this." Isis replied evenly. She knew what set her husband off, but she wasn't going to go into that with the good doctor. She had accomplished what she had hoped to by dragging Shadi with her on this trip. He so very rarely came into contact with the corpses of the targeted victims, and she wanted to see if what she had surmised was the truth. Now she knew it was, for Shadi was far more sensitive than she was.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Isis snapped back to the task at hand.

"What I was saying was that, these wounds, some of them were made at least thirty six hours before the boy died. I know that from the color of the bruising. These ones here" The man pointed to a couple of yellowish bruises that were seen at the edge of the boy's ribs. "They are already yellow. It takes a good three days for them to turn color like that. On top of that, he's dehydrated and it looks like he lost a good amount of weight in his ending days. It looks to me as if maybe they starve their victims during their ritual."

"So you're saying that they torture and starve these victims for three or four days before slitting their throats?" Isis clarified, startled.

The research they were depending on so heavily for answers to their questions about the rituals only gave suggestions as to methods of torture. It didn't spell out every gory detail. And now the female agent was wishing that she didn't know what went on in these horrifying ceremonies. But the dead were dead; nothing could be done to change that. One could only hope to benefit from what they left behind.

"Yes, I think the torture is drawn out for a period of days. They space it out to cause the maximum amount of pain to the victim before they kill them. These symbols – what do they mean" The scalpel winked in the harsh light as doctor pointed to a couple of crudely drawn circles on the victim's neck. Each rough-edged mark had three lines crossing diagonally through it.

"I'm not sure what that one means. Shadi would be the one to clarify their implication. He's done research on all of the pagan rituals. I really should be going Dr. James; I need to check on my husband. It was nice to see you again." Isis said shakily as she peeled the gloves off and threw them in the bin.

"Take care, Isis. I'll send you the rest of the report via email." The old man waved.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Isis waved back as she glided out the swinging doors in search of her husband.

He wasn't hard to find. She could sense his upset from the morgue, and that was in the basement of the busy hospital. As soon as she made it up the third flight of steps, she smiled concernedly at him, watching as he rose shakily to his feet from the bench that he was sitting on.

"You felt it too." Isis murmured as she held a hand out to her husband.

"Yes. I felt the total emptiness of that husk. And I felt the contamination from something that is beyond the worst evil in our imaginations." Shadi answered, equally quietly, as he took her hand.

"And the worst thing is, is that fool who is following their directives – he knows nothing of why he's doing it. He's only in it for the power. The shadows have an alternate plan. One they don't even want their closest ally to know of. That man is a total fool!" Isis said harshly.

"You know this person is a he? Do you know who he is? How do you know there is a hidden agenda?" Shadi questioned.

Knowledge was power, and if this discovery was going to land them in trouble, there had to be something to help the boys who were out there with their lives on the line, trying to protect the witness. At this point, anything they had was a plus. Shadi knew full well what his objective in life was; what he needed to know now was whether the shadows had the same goal.

"I only catch a glimpse of his profile every now and again, and of his intentions. Nothing noteworthy as of yet. It's as if he's being hidden from me. And as for knowing the shadows' purpose, you know as well as I do that these sacrifices mean absolutely nothing to them. They are interested in only a small handful of people. These extra killings are so they can disguise their true intentions. You know of what I speak Shadi, there is no reason to keep secrets any longer."

The bald agent hung his head, berating himself. The idea had come to him once before, but he dismissed it summarily. "Yes, I do. To claim the light half of the son of Ra, the mightiest soul on earth, a true god incarnate - that is their supreme objective. He and the powerful priests bound to the will of that one powerful soul. I have managed to gather together those that were torn apart…this time. But sometimes I wonder if I didn't make the shadows' job easier. For if they find one, they will find the rest, or use who they have in custody to lure the others out of hiding. There are only three left, if they are sacrificed…I hesitate to consider the consequences."

"That is something we will not know until the final scene is played out. I cannot even see either of our sons' futures right now. It is in fate's hands, ours are tied. Come, let's head back to Tennessee. We need to arm our boys with everything we can. Even if it means telling them everything about who they really are – witness included."

The couple made their way out of the hospital, gathering stares from the people scurrying about. They were a striking couple after all, and it was only natural for those around them to be drawn to them. But hidden from sight, behind one of the decorative pillars marking the hospital's entrance, was another person with their eyes on the couple. And his interest was far from impersonal.

The wire-thin microphone of the headset was almost invisible beneath his hair. "They're heading back boss. Do you want me to intercept them?"

"No, stay as you are, you have other business to attend to. The damage is already done. I will take care of them on this end. You deal with those two miscreants you were foolish enough to trust. That makes for two mistakes, Raphael. Need I remind you of what will happen if you screw up again?" The boss's agitated voice came through over the cell phone.

"No sir, you don't. I know what happens." Raphael replied shakily, watching as the bald agent looked around apprehensively. The blonde hugged the side of the pillar, unwilling to be seen. After a few tense moments, the two agents continued on their way.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi was lying in bed awake, his arms wrapped around his exhausted protector. The poor man was so tired he didn't even put up a fight when the small teen tucked the blanket around his shivering form. For the past two weeks, the ruby eyed man pushed himself to the limits of his endurance. The small teen couldn't help but think that he was responsible for the man's predicament. After all, it was his words that led to their current situation.

"_You're not a freak, Atemu. Why do you insist that you are? You've done nothing wrong. Anyone in your position would have done the same thing. Don't let anyone tell you any different!" Yugi waved his arms wildly as his spoke, trying to convince his newly found soul mate that he was worthy._

_The man just wasn't listening to him, and he didn't know how else to say it. They had been rehashing the same argument for the past three days, and the man just couldn't understand that he wasn't the one at fault. Atemu continued to blame himself for what happened in the foster home. God only knew what else the agent blamed himself for. At the moment, Yugi was all for slapping some sense into him; the small teen was so frustrated._

_As the teen calmed down, he put a comforting hand on the ruby eyed agent's chest, gently commanding his attention. "And I don't care what anyone else thinks anyways." He huffed. "No one's perfect, so I think before someone goes looking for flaws in you – they need to look at their own lives first."_

_Atemu stared down at the small hand that was caressing his chest trustingly. This small teen believed in him, trusted him with his life, despite his destructive powers. It was apparent in the boy's words and the looks that he was giving. Did he really want to walk away from the only person to trust him like this?_

"_You accept this without question…why?" Atemu glanced into concerned amethyst eyes._

"_I've heard the stories my whole life. I wasn't allowed to touch the book, but my grandpa; he used to tell me stories of soul mates who found each other. They were kind of like bedtime fairytales. He used to hint at it all the time, but he never came right out and told me what I was. I think he wanted me to figure it out." The teen replied evenly, staring his protector down with the truth._

_The ruby eyed agent looked away. So the boy had known something of this the whole time. The teen was accepting the explanation with a lot more grace than he had earlier in the month. But then again, Shadi dumped the whole thing on him all at once; and Yugi had known some of what the older agent was talking about well before he read from the book. Perhaps it was time to give in gracefully. Who knows, maybe he would get to keep the boy. But if he failed, then what? His little one would die a horrible death if he failed to protect him._

"_I…I'm not the easiest person to get along with little one. You understand that don't you?" Atemu tried one last ditch effort to extricate himself from the situation._

_It wasn't that the agent didn't want to be the teen's soul mate, or that he didn't want to be with him. He just didn't know how to share his life with another person. Atemu had always been a solitary individual. On top of that, this small teen – with those beautiful amethyst eyes – needed someone extraordinary to protect him from this group of murderers that were after him. And the agent didn't think that he could do it. He was too afraid of his unusual gifts._

"_It doesn't matter. I love you…I have ever since the night you saved me from myself." Wide amethyst eyes caught Atemu's ruby gaze, allowing the agent to see the truth hidden in their depths._

_That did it. Atemu was caught. Wrapping his arms around his little one, the ruby eyed agent drew the teen in for an earth shattering kiss. He wasn't going to let those men have this boy. This one belonged to him. The boy said it himself, those three words coming straight from his petal soft lips. He would find a way to control his devastating gifts, just to keep this one small teen who had taken over his life with his beautiful looks and stunning personality._

_Yugi sighed into the kiss. Finally, after fighting their attraction for so long, his protector was giving in to their fate. The teen snuggled further into the warm embrace, seeking more contact with his soul mate. Come what may, he was not going to lose the man again. Not even to himself._

_Atemu pulled away to look straight into the teen's eyes, promising "I will protect you. With my life if I have to. I swear it, Aibou."_

_Yugi laid a gentle hand on the man's face, ecstatic with his new title. "And I will protect you from your demons. You deserve so much more out of life than to abuse yourself for your mistakes."_

And that was what Atemu was doing for the past week. He was practicing control over his unyielding powers. The agent refused to let these powers control him, to become a threat to his little one. But it was so hard to control these gifts. Especially what he came to call a shadowfire. Just the shear amount of effort it took to draw one of those shadow flames back into his body took a toll on the man's strength. The agent could call one to his hand with little or no effort at all. But to rein one in once it was called, therein lay the problem. The shadow flames were a destructive force, and once they came into being, their energy needed to be expended somewhere.

Yugi used a damp cloth to wipe the beads of sweat from his soul mate's brow. The past week had been murder on his protector. And they were out of food now, as no one had thought to go shopping in the past seven days. Both of them had too much on their minds. On top of practicing with Atemu's gifts, Yugi had strengthened his gift to the point where he and Atemu could converse mentally from as far as a mile away. The conversation took quite an effort on both their parts, but the end result was well worth it.

"Aibou." Sleep clouded ruby eyes looked up at him from where Atemu lay, trying to return to consciousness.

"I'm right here. You've been out for well over five hours. Did you sleep well?"

The exhausted agent nodded, lifting his hand so he could touch the teen's face. "I slept great. What did you do with your time?"

The youth blushed becomingly. "I watched you. You look so innocent when you're sleeping. I couldn't resist. Oh, and the house is clean too – other than that mess you call a desk. I opened the windows. It's really nice outside. It's an Indian summer this year." It felt so good to talk to the man openly. And all it took was three little words. Yugi shook his head, stifling a chuckle. He sounded like a girl in a bad chick flick! Love obviously made him overly sentimental.

"That's fine, it will do this place some good to get fresh air in here." Atemu pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling Yugi into his arms for a chaste kiss.

"Oh, and you need to go shopping today. We're out of just about everything, milk included." Yugi flicked the agent's nose, watching as the man scrunched up his face.

Atemu pushed Yugi gently off to the side and swung off the bed, wandering into the bathroom. "Give me a few minutes and I'll go shopping. Make a list for me and let me know if there's anything special I should bring back."

Yugi wandered out into the living room of the cabin, relishing the gentle breeze that came in through the open windows. The last heat wave of the fall was going through, and the small cabin had grown stuffy over the past week.

"I will." He called out, hearing the soft sounds of water running in reply.

Fifteen minutes later, and Atemu's rusty, reliable old pick up was kicking up dust as it pulled out of the driveway and onto the dirt road that led to town. The teen watched from one of the open windows as the battered truck disappeared from sight, before wandering back into the living room, content to relax.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi grabbed one of the beat-up paperbacks that inhabited the cabin and dropped back in his favorite chair, a faint smile on his face. He was really starting to like it here in this cozy mountain getaway. It was so very peaceful here.

In the past two weeks he had begun to feel more at ease than he had anywhere else in his life, especially now that Atemu was beginning to come out of his shell. They had still a lot of issues that needed to be resolved – like the agent's need for constant perfection right down to the smallest detail, but the small teen was feeling quite content with the turn their relationship was taking.

An hour later, with Atemu still at the store, Yugi contentedly thumbed his way through the novel, his attention divided between the words on the pages and thoughts of his protector, as he hummed along with the tune that was playing on the radio. The small teen almost felt blessed, as he set the book down in his lap to give his attention over to the song that was playing – Atreyu's newest, one of his favorites. It was amazing, not only did he find his one and only true soul mate, but even here – in the middle of BFE – he could find a radio station that played music he was in to. He knew it was just a minor detail, but it gave him hope for his future. If only his grandfather and his friends were still alive…

The amethyst eyed teen shook his head, his eyes tearing slightly, to rid himself of the thought. It would do him no good to dwell on the bad. He had learned that lesson the hard way. He was just thankful that his best friend Jou wasn't on the list of dead, and that they were both okay for the moment. Quickly, Yugi sent up a prayer of thanks for the small miracle, before returning to thoughts of his sexy ruby eyed guardian.

It was so good to finally see the real man beneath the attitude. Their earlier talks made a world of difference as far as the ruby eyed agent's outlook went. In the space of two weeks his personality turned a complete 180. Gone was the cold; often cynical individual that Yugi had come to know, leaving in his place a calmer, less apprehensive person that had been kept hidden beneath all the layers of distrust that had built up over the years. The agent's temper only rarely making an appearance in the past couple of weeks – and always directed at himself. But Yugi had his work cut out for him if he wanted the man to trust in him fully. That fact was still glaringly apparent to the small teen.

Atemu was right when he said that he wasn't the easiest to get along with. The man kept his emotions closed off, making it difficult for Yugi to read him. And he was a hard task master, especially toward himself, allowing for no mistakes, and constantly berating himself for even the slightest miscalculation. Yugi was going to have to do something about that eventually, but not now. For now the small teen was just going to enjoy having his soul mate close, and getting to know him.

A curious noise startled Yugi out of his thinking. Glancing quickly over at the computer desk, the teen noticed that a strong breeze had blown all of Atemu's papers out of their haphazardly thrown together piles, most of them landing on the floor. This wasn't good. He walked over to the mess and began to pick up the scattered papers before another gust could spread them any further.

After picking up the papers, he began to sort them into piles based on what they were. Emails in one pile, charts and maps in another, as he got to the end of what had fallen, one particular paper caught his interest. His name was underlined in red ink; lines drawn from his name down to twenty or so other names he didn't recognize. At the bottom of the page, the word SACRIFICE was capitalized and circled, with a reference to pages 347-375. An obscure note scribbled at the bottom of the page asked how the victims came into contact with the murderers. The small teen pondered that question for a few moments before his curiosity about the rest of the hastily written notes overcame the other question.

Guessing that the page numbers came from the book that he had read part of last week, Yugi walked over to examine the largest pile of loose papers. It was out of here that Atemu had selected the text for him to read over. Picking through the pile, the small teen found the referenced pages. What was his guardian trying to hide from him? He believed the man when he said that these people were after him for his being a half soul. Was there more to it than that?

Scanning the pages briefly, a few words jumped out at him, but refused to penetrate his mind. Disbelieving, the small teen returned to the beginning and read the papers again, the words seeping slowly through his shock. With every word his comprehension grew, and so did his utter horror. When he was finished reading, dusk had settled on the small cabin, and he was frightened beyond belief.

Bolting from his chair, the teen turned on as many lights as he could, closing all the windows he had opened previously, locking them tightly and drawing the curtains as well. He jumped at the normal noises that he had thought nothing of in the past days as he called franticly for his protector through their new mental link. When the house was totally locked down, the teen gave one last plea through the silent link. Atemu had been gone for such a long time, why was he not home yet?

Curling up in the corner of the room, Yugi watched as the light continued to fade from the sky, his only weapon a large frying pan from the kitchen. What those people would do to him would be beyond torture. And to know that his looks and his virginity would be considered a boon…Yugi didn't want his first sexual experience to be with someone who was only out to make it as painful as possible. He didn't want to die like that! With tears running down his face, the small teen waited fearfully for his protector to come home.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	9. Chapter 9

A short chap since I am early and have nowhere else to break this one. XD

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu was still in a good mood as he hauled his load of groceries into the truck despite being delayed - the news of nothing out of the ordinary being well worth the holdup. The agent had run into his nearest neighbor on his way out of town, the nosy old man having nothing to say about anyone unusual poking around. And Fred would definitely be the first to know, which was why Atemu parked his Corvette in the man's garage every time he came up to the cabin.

Having little else to do with his time since his wife died two years ago, the diminutive, slightly stooped old man made it a point to know everyone else's business, so no one would be able to hide their interest in the little cabin on the mountainside without him knowing about it.

Hell, not even the people in the small town ten miles down the road were able to do anything without old Fred Mertz knowing about it, apparently. The gossipy old man had cornered Atemu, seemingly intent on informing him of every minute detail of the past eight months, even though Atemu had no interest whatsoever in Mrs. Mero's prize-winning rooster, or exactly _what_ ol' Billy Joe was doing with his pigs, even if it was a scandal. The whole thought was just sickening. All Atemu was interested in was new faces, new people. Once he heard that there weren't any, the agent began trying to extricate himself from the one sided discussion.

An hour and a half later, Atemu was finally able to disengage himself from the conversation as politely as he could. He set the bags of groceries gently into the passenger seat before making his way around the truck to his seat. Only when the key was in the ignition and the truck was lumbering down the road did he breathe a sigh of relief. That was the earliest he had ever been able to get away from the long winded busy-body that was his closest neighbor. The man could talk for hours at a time without being winded, and though normally that didn't bother the tricolor haired agent, today he wanted to get back to his charge. They were getting along so well lately, and he didn't want to ruin it by being late.

As Atemu made his way back up the trail to his cabin, he dismissed prize roosters and pig scandals to allow thoughts of his little one to fill his mind. Images of the stunning teen writhing beneath him, on the king size bed, his gorgeous amethyst eyes glazed over with passion dominated the agent's mind.

He wouldn't rush the boy into anything. But that didn't stop his mind from wandering into the gutter whenever it got the chance. The teen was just too gorgeous for his mind to pass up the erotic thoughts. The whole way back to the cabin, the agent allowed the many different scenes of him seducing the boy to linger in his mind, carefully blocking his thoughts from leaking over into Yugi's head.

Stopping in his designated parking spot, Atemu threw the truck into park and walked around to the passenger side to lift the heavy bags out of the seat, taking care not to drop anything. Then he made his way to the door, noting that the windows and curtains were closed, and that the lights were on inside. That was kind of weird. Didn't the boy say that he wanted some fresh air earlier? And Atemu hadn't been gone but for a couple of hours. Then again, nights up here did tend to get slightly chilly – this evening being no exception. He shook the oddness of the situation away as he made his way up the front steps of the cabin.

Awkwardly fumbling with the door handle, Atemu dropped one of the heavily laden bags. Cursing, he bent to retrieve it just as the door swung open and Yugi leveled a swing at where the agent's head had been not moments before. The frying pan bounced off the painted metal door with a loud clang, the vibration stunning the teen into dropping his weapon with a yelp.

"What the hell was that for?" Atemu straightened, dropping the rest of his load, to catch the stunned youth as he tried to bolt from the doorway.

"AH! Lemme go! Atemu will be here any minute…!" Yugi shrieked, arms and legs flying as struggled with what he thought was an attacker.

"Aibou! Calm down -" Atemu moved his head out of the way of a flying elbow before trying again. "Easy little one, it's just me." The agent pulled his wannabe attacker back against him, trying to pin the boy's arms without causing him any further distress. Something seemed to have clicked in the boy's head, though, because he went limp in Atemu's grasp.

"Who did you think I was?" the agent asked, staring at the panting teen in his arms. The boy stared up at him for a second, every fiber of his being trembling uncontrollably, before he threw his arms around the agent and burst into hysterical tears.

_-Yugi crouched in the corner of the room, clenching his makeshift weapon with shaking hands. Atemu was late; he was way too late… Any attempt to contact him through their new mind link was met with dead silence. Terrifying visions of his guardian being captured, being hurt, being killed, were filling his mind. The enemies… the people that had murdered Honda and Anzu and his Grandpa, they had taken Atemu, they must have, and now they were going to come for him! But Atemu wouldn't let them hold him for long. The agent would find his way out of their hands, and come to save him, he promised he would. _

_An engine rumbled in the driveway. Yugi bit his lip to stop a scream. They were here already! They'd come to kidnap him, and they were going to take him before Atemu could get here! A car door shut and Yugi tried to shrink further back into his corner, attempting once again to contact his guardian._

…_silence._

_A second door shut, and the teen shut his eyes tightly, whispering a small prayer. He didn't dare look out the window; he didn't want them to see him. Maybe, if he stayed quiet, they would think he wasn't here, like the last time, and they would just go away…_

_NO! That was the act of a coward. He wasn't going to spend the rest of his life hiding and running like a frightened mouse. All he had to do was hold the attackers off long enough for Atemu to get here; Atemu would escape from his captors, escape and come here and save him before they could hurt him. Heart racing, Yugi listened to the noises coming from the front of the house._

_Without time to think, as the person was at the front door, the small teen sprung into action. He yanked the door open, hoping to stun the person trying to get in, and swung hard with the frying pan. If he could get a good enough hit, whoever it was might be out long enough for him to get away._

_But he missed, hitting the broad side of the door with enough force to make the pan vibrate painfully in his hands. Dropping said weapon with a cry, the terrified teen attempted to make a hasty retreat. That was when strong arms pulled him back against the person who he had attempted to maim. When he heard his other half's deep voice, Yugi broke, relief mingling with horror as he realized what could have happened had he connected with the frying pan.-_

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I didn't know it was you!" Yugi trembled with the consequences of what he had attempted to do, and what would have happened had he connected with that swing.

"Who else would it be?" Atemu questioned, looking around the room for a clue as to why the teen was acting like he was. It was then that the ruby eyed agent spotted the mess on his desk. Spinning his captive around to face him, he questioned. "What happened? Why is my desk such a mess?" God help him, he knew. He knew why his small charge was acting so flighty.

"I…The wind blew your papers around…and I was only trying to help…" Yugi trailed off tearfully, refusing to look the man in the eyes. Tears coursed down his face as he realized how absurd his behavior was.

"You read the rest of the book, didn't you? Oh little one, I was trying to keep you from reading that. I didn't want you to be afraid." Gently lifting the boy into his arms, Atemu slid down the door, his little one cradled against his chest, sobbing openly. "Shhh, it will be okay. No one's going to hurt you. I won't allow it."

"It took you so long to come home…you didn't answer me…I thought something happened. And…and I kept imagining that they got to you. And…and I don't know what I was thinking…I got scared." Yugi stuttered in a small, choked voice, avoiding his guardian's keen eyes.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get back little one. It's okay…I'm here now. Shhh. It's alright. You're safe." Atemu soothed the teen with small kisses, gently rubbing the moisture away from his face as he whispered comforting words.

The ruby eyed agent was sorely wishing that he had not been delayed for so long by his neighbor, and that he would have had the presence of mind to actually listen for Yugi's voice instead of tuning him out. If he had, this whole scene might have ended differently. He could only hope that the damage wasn't irreparable, that Yugi would continue to trust in him, even after he had let the boy down - again.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Shadi opened the door to their office, allowing his wife to enter before him. They had just returned from giving a deposition on one of the cases that was in the process of going through the court system. It was late, and he was dead tired. Not to mention how Isis was feeling. She had hardly slept a wink in the past two days, incomplete visions of a dim future getting the best of her.

The two of them were only returning to their office to pick up a couple of files and the phone that Shadi locked in his desk for their questioning. Isis thanked him politely as she made her way to her side of the office. The bald man followed, neither of them seeing the figure that was sitting in Shadi's chair over in the opposite corner of the darkened room.

"Where the hell have the two of you been? And where the hell is that little shit that everyone was so adamant about me hiring? He should have been back by now. I have to go and deal with political affairs for a couple of months and this whole office goes to hell!" One of the desk lights in the corner winked on.

Isis held a hand to her chest in shock, Shadi dropping the cell phone that he had just picked up out of the drawer that she unlocked, the device clattering loudly in the silence after the outburst. "Jesus Armand, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" She reprimanded the man.

Shadi glared over at his commander. Ever since Armand Dox became the Assistant Director of the FBI, he had ceased to be one of their most trusted comrades. Now he was nothing more than a glorified desk jockey, hogging all the glory for the cases that his men solved, and rubbing elbows with the political elite. The bald agent gave an expression of distaste before turning back again to address his one-time friend.

"We have been working on a new lead that developed in the case you dumped on us a couple of years ago, _sir_." Shadi said, emphasizing the title that he thought the other man didn't deserve. He knew full well that the man wasn't referring to their whereabouts today, but rather the bills that he received from two weeks ago. "Other than that, we've managed to clear one other minor case that was sitting on the books for the past two years."

Dox gave the agent a slight glare, before curiosity got the better of him. "You got something on the cult murders? Twenty or so years and fifteen different agents and you got something on those murders? Please tell me it's a witness."

"In a way, it is." Isis stepped in, sensing her husband's rage towards the emaciated man sitting in his chair. "The last body they dumped wasn't totally destroyed. We were able to gather quite a bit of evidence from the boy who was murdered."

Dox pushed himself out of Shadi's chair, pointing at the two agents. "I don't care about another dead body! I want a live witness to this shit! There has to be someone out there who saw something! We need progress that can be documented! Another dead body is just that…another fucking body! This case makes us look bad to the public…And where in the hell is that little shit Atemu! He's been here for all of two years and he's taking a sabbatical? What the fuck is this? A college? You find him and get his ass back to work in the next two days or his job is history! Jesus H. Christ this place has gone to hell in a hand basket."

Shadi bristled at the comment, taking a threatening step forward.

"You knew Atemu was going to be gone before you left." Isis reminded her boss as she stepped, once again, into her husband's path, laying a hand on his shoulder to calm him. They didn't need the complications of Shadi getting into a full blown fight with their superior; they had enough to deal with at the moment.

"Not this long! That little shit has been nothing but a pain in the ass ever since I took him on! He's irresponsible and lazy; he can't even manage to clear his case load without taking time off for personal issues! "

The statement couldn't have been more untrue, but Isis didn't dare to interrupt the man's tirade, nor would she let Shadi. It never did them any good before. It was better to let the little cretin get it all out of his system first, and then make him see reason. Isis sighed deeply, giving her boss a deadly glare.

If Dox would have cared to remember, it was Atemu who'd given the FBI their first lead on the child porn ring that had been busted two months ago, not to mention a number of other small, problem cases. But the man ignored every contribution that the tricolor haired agent had made, instead ranting about every flaw that he could find, stretching the truth to suit his needs. The fit lasted for about five minutes before the older man ran out of disparaging comments, and the breath to say them in.

Dox glared at the two agent's for a few minutes. Both Shadi and Isis stared levelly back at him, neither saying a word. The standoff continued for a few moments more before the man's pager went off in the silence. Holding a hand up – his way of saying stay put, he used Shadi's phone to take the call, making himself to home at the agent's neatly arranged desk.

"You rang sir." His harsh voice taking on a softer, more subservient tone when the call was answered.

"Ah yes, Assistant Director Dox. A few moments of your time, if I may? I think we may have found a solution to the problem that we had earlier."

Giving the agents a pointed glare, Dox continued his conversation on their phone. "I will be right there Senator. I was just finishing up."

"Thank you, this won't take long, I assure you." The Senator said before hanging up.

Dox hung up the phone and directed his comments to his agents, rubbing his temples with his fingers as he stood up. "Look, you guys are good. The best around, really. And I really appreciate the work you've both done on this case, but we have other problems that we need to deal with, so unless there's a witness or something like that, I'm pulling you off. We need something more than what we have. And as for Atemu, unless he's back to work within the next two days, or you have a good excuse for his being gone…Do you have an excuse?"

Isis shook her head. "No, but I will find out where he is. And I'll let him know to contact you."

Dox shook his head. Pointing his finger again, he said threateningly "Tell him that if he's not back, then he's gone. I can find someone to replace him. Talented or not, he has to learn the rules just like everyone else." Then the man strode out of the room, the door slamming loudly behind him.

"And to think I used to actually like that man." Shadi glared at the closed door. "He was fishing, wasn't he?"

Isis gave a sidelong glance at her husband. "He wasn't fishing, he was warning us. In his own way he was warning us that they know about Atemu and the witness. We need to get out of here and find a safe way to contact Atemu. I don't know how much they know and how much they're guessing at!"

"Son of a bitch! Let's go…I don't know, let's just go! We'll figure it out later." Shadi took a hold of Isis's hand and pulled her out of the room. It wouldn't be safe to call from here, not when they didn't know who was involved.

Their footsteps echoed off the deserted corridor as they all but ran out of the building, all thoughts of case files and cell phones forgotten. Once outside, the hasty plan was to find a pay phone somewhere in a public place, someplace that couldn't be traced – if that were even a concern anymore. And there was no place more public than the downtown strip mall that was two blocks over.

As they walked along the nearly deserted sidewalk towards the downtown area, both Shadi and Isis heard a car start from somewhere close behind them. Isis shuddered, as the implication hit home, they were being tailed. Both of them tried hard not to break into an all-out sprint for the crowded area of the city, not wanting their tail to know that they were spotted, even if they were being rather obvious.

"Come on, we need to blend in with the crowd. I know the perfect place, and it has a pay phone." Shadi stepped off the main path, pulling Isis along with him, heading towards the shopping district. The bald agent wasn't even going to think about why their tail wasn't trying to hide. That could only mean one thing. They were expendable now. How the hell did they find out where the boy was?

"You do realize that you just gave us away, right?" Isis commented as they picked up their pace, running through the beaten path that cut into the middle of the park. In the distance, they could hear the car that was following them as it tore off around the corner, no doubt to beat them to their goal.

"Yes, but by the time they go around the park, we'll be within sight of the mall, and they can't exactly try to pick us up there. And they just gave away the fact that they don't need us to find the boy!" Shadi replied, huffing as he continued to sprint through the well cared for park that separated their office building from the shopping district.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	10. Chapter 10

Anybody for a little lemon scented chapter? (grins) You have been warned.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The pair sat there on the floor, Yugi held tightly in Atemu's capable hands, with the door wide open, until the terrified teen finally caught his breath. A half an hour had flown by - bringing the darkness of the night in with it, the breeze taking on a slight chill. By then the small teen felt completely and utterly stupid. He had flown completely off the handle, and almost hurt the one person that he cared most about in this world, all because he couldn't contact him. The longer he ran through what happened in his mind, the more foolish he felt.

"I-I'm sorry…" Yugi sniffed, curling in on himself in shame.

"It's okay little one. I was the one at fault. I never should have left you for so long, I'm sorry I was late. You've done nothing wrong. Even I had nightmares after reading that. Come on, let's put this stuff away, and I'll get you something to calm you down." Atemu pulled them both to their feet.

After giving the boy a chaste peck on the lips, he started picking up the scattered remains of their food. Yugi shakily obliged, reaching down to gather some of the cans that had rolled away from the rest of the mess.

Together the two of them picked up the rest of the groceries that lay, scattered about where Atemu had dropped them. The eggs were broken, but other than that, most of the food was still intact. After making short work of putting everything where it belonged, Atemu guided his charge back into the living room, pushing the boy gently down on to the couch.

"I'll be back in a minute. Just relax." The agent murmured softly before sauntering into the kitchen. The cell phone rang, and it took him a moment to find it. He answered it, expecting a call from Shadi. But by the time he had finally gotten to it, whoever it was had already hung up, the caller ID remaining perfectly blank as if the call didn't exist.

Shrugging to himself, the agent pulled two glasses from the cupboard. It was not unheard of for calls to get dropped, as there were very few towers out here in the middle of nowhere. If it was important, the person would call back.

A minute later, Atemu returned to the living room, holding two squat, round glasses filled almost to the brim with a dark red liquid. He handed one of them to Yugi as he sat down next to him. "Here Aibou, I know I'm contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but I think you deserve this after what you've been through tonight."

Yugi accepted the glass, holding it up to look at it, his eyes still puffy and red from the episode earlier. "What is it?"

"It's wine little one. Sip it slowly, don't gulp. It'll help you relax some." Atemu said before taking a leisurely sip from his glass.

Yugi took a sniff, pulling back from the bitter smell, his pert nose wrinkled in distaste. "Does it taste okay? It doesn't smell all that great."

"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to. But it might help to calm you some." Atemu said before taking a drink of his wine.

"No really, it's okay. I'll try it." Yugi took a hesitant sip.

The wine didn't taste too bad. A little bitter on his tongue, but it left a pleasantly warm tingling feeling as it slid down his throat. He took another small sip. This time he didn't taste the bitterness. A couple more sips and he was feeling at ease enough to lean back against the couch. An uncomfortable silence stretched out between the two of them, neither knowing quite how to start the conversation. It was almost as if there was an unspoken barrier between them after the incident earlier. And neither one of them knew how to overcome it.

"So…ah…what was your life like when you were younger?" Atemu asked haltingly after a few more moments of silence, not quite knowing what to say, but wanting to take the boy's mind off of what he had read earlier.

Yugi glanced over at his protector in surprise. "I remember being on my own a lot, not really having any friends other than my grandpa. We didn't really stay in one place for too long. Why?" It was only the third time that the man had initiated a conversation. Usually it was left up to Yugi, to try to get him to talk.

Atemu shrugged, looking away. "I was just curious. You already saw what my life was like. I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it."

The small teen grasped at the agent's feeble attempts to make conversation, needing to know that things were still okay between them, even after what he did. "No, its okay, it helps me to remember my grandpa when I talk about him. It was always him and I from the time I was little. He once told me that we used to live in the mountains somewhere when my parents were alive, but I don't really remember anything from that time. And the house we lived in caught on fire, so I don't even have pictures of them to jog my memory."

"No pictures, no nothing? Do you remember anything about them at all?"

Yugi shrugged. "Not really. I must have been really young when they died. The first thing I can seem to remember from when I was little was the time we lived in California. I was about six at the time. I remember the candle on the cake…Anyways, Grandpa and I lived in these condos, and the neighbors had this huge dog, like a St. Bernard. I was terrified of him. He used to chase me whenever I went outside to play. Grandpa threatened to kill him once, but that scared me even more. I started crying, and he said he was joking. He never said anything about it again. But we moved soon after."

"You're first memory was from when you were six?" That was a little odd. A distant thought nagged at the agent's mind, but when he tried to grasp it, it danced just out of his reach.

"Yeah, why?" Yugi looked up at Atemu curiously, their eyes locking, before they both looked away.

"Most people's memories start about the time they can recognize words, which is when they're about two or so." Atemu stated. What was it that was nagging him so badly? It was a question that he had yet to ask of his little one, but for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was. It was aggravating.

Yugi thought on that for a while as he took a sip off his wine. Finally he said "Yeah, I can see that making sense. I can't seem to remember anything before that time though. Just the dog. Everything else seems to come after that."

The unease between them lifted as they found that they had similar backgrounds. Atemu considered himself lucky that he could remember at least what his parents looked like, his charge didn't even have that to comfort him when he was down.

The two continued their quiet conversation for a little while, both of their glasses becoming empty as the time passed. As soon as the last sip was taken, Atemu took both of their glasses in for a refill, only giving Yugi half a glass full the second time. The teen was holding himself well for never having alcohol before, but Atemu could tell that he had a buzz by the flush of color in his cheeks and the slight glaze to his eyes. Half a glass more ought to relax him enough to keep the bad dreams at bay tonight. Walking back into the living room, the ruby eyed agent handed the glass back to his charge, sitting down next to him as he took a sip out of his glass.

The warm, tingling feeling was starting to numb his thinking as the small teen took another sip off of the dark colored liquid. He chanced another quick glance over at his protector, the other half of his soul. The man was calmly sitting on the couch, sipping at his wine, looking almost regal with his rigid posture and thoughtful frown. How was he ever going to get this edgy, distrustful man to relax around him? Especially when he was so quick to freak out, like he had earlier.

Reaching over, the small teen linked their hands, flashing a quick smile when the agent looked over at him. When Atemu suddenly smiled back, a true smile, the teen's breath caught in his throat. God, the man was absolutely stunning when he smiled! Just that slight hint of those straight, pearly white teeth set against gorgeous, caramel toned skin. And now that he had seen it once, the small teen would give anything just to see that dazzling smile again.

Feeling the slight boldness brought on by his first alcoholic drink, Yugi set his glass down and moved from his side of the couch to straddle the agent's lap, wrapping his arms around the man's neck. Yugi knew he wouldn't be rejected, but he had never made the first move like this before, so he wasn't quite sure what to expect. Whatever happened, though, he knew he needed to let his soul mate know how much that small smile affected him.

"You should do that more often!" Yugi murmured, running a hand gently through Atemu's hair.

"Do what?" Atemu asked warily. It had taken all of the agent's strength not to jump when his charge climbed up in his lap. The contact was unexpected and he wasn't quite prepared to have a lap full of his little one. At the moment, they were so close that he could see each individual eyelash that framed those alluring, innocent eyes. Finding himself lost in those amethyst jewels, all Atemu wanted to do was close the distance between them and kiss the boy soundly for his audacity.

"Smile…I think that is the first true smile I've ever seen on your face. You're really sexy when you smile." Yugi grinned impishly as he threaded his fingers through the agent's luxurious mop of tricolor hair.

Atemu rolled his eyes at the comment, disbelieving, but gave in to the teen's demands with a slight smirk. "I will have to do it more often than…for you."

Leaning in, the ruby eyed agent closed the distance between them, capturing the teen's soft lips in a tender kiss as he wrapped his arms around the slight figure in his lap, Atemu drew the boy's bottom lip into his mouth, suckling gently, wringing a groan of approval from Yugi at his action.

They pulled away to gaze into each other's eyes, Yugi touching Atemu's parted lips tenderly with his fingertips, blushing lightly when the man drew them into his mouth, massaging them with his tongue. God he wanted this stunning, ruby eyed man so badly. But they needed to clear the air first. The comment that his guardian had just made a moment ago was the teen's whole point of contention. For him…No Atemu needed to do things for himself, not for Yugi.

Yugi withdrew his fingers, refusing to acknowledge Atemu's little groan of disappointment; to plant both hands flat against the agent's chest and look him straight in the eyes. It was time to finish their little discussion that had been going on over the last couple of weeks, now that he had his guardian's full and undivided attention. It didn't hurt that the small bit of alcohol Yugi consumed was making him act on his thoughts.

"You are so sexy; I don't understand how you can't see that. And you're a good person. But you hide behind this whole 'I don't care' front that you have going, trying to keep me at a distance. Using your gifts as an excuse." He admonished the man.

"Yugi…I" Atemu attempted to comment, but he was cut short, pinned by the teen's amethyst glare. Did he do something wrong again? What happened? He was trying really hard to open up to this small teen that had turned his world upside down in the short amount of time they knew each other, but it was so hard to let someone in after being on his own for so long. And he was so afraid that if something went wrong, that his little one would pay the price.

"NO! Please, just listen to me this time. I want you to understand this. You push yourself too hard, trying to please me, without opening up to me. Hell, you collapsed this morning, that's how hard you pushed! I know that you're trying to control this _for me_, but that's not what I want from you. In fact, it's the exact opposite of what I want. You're hurting yourself, I don't want that."

"Yugi, let me…" Atemu tried again. He had to make his little one understand that this ability he had would hurt the boy if he let it get out of control.

Yugi only shook his head at the man, telling him that he wasn't finished talking yet. The small teen took one of Atemu's slender hands into his own smaller one, holding them both up to each other as if comparing their size. The boy contemplated the sensations of that strong, slightly calloused hand against his own, not looking at the agent as he spoke.

"I care about you so much; you just don't seem to understand that. Stop punishing yourself for past mistakes, everyone makes them! And stop pushing yourself for me. If you want to learn control over these gifts, do it for you – not me. You're not going to hurt me, and I'll love you regardless. You need to believe in yourself, in your abilities. I do. The only thing I want is to see you smile, but for you…not for me. You hold yourself to the most impossible standards. No one could achieve what you have done over the past couple of weeks. And yet you expect more. Stop it." Yugi repeated, blinking tears of emotion away.

He had to find a way to pound these words into his guardian's head. The man couldn't continue to think that he was going to hurt him with his powers, trying to keep him at arm's length. It was time that Atemu learned that he was better than that.

Atemu bit the inside of his lip as he contemplated the teen's words. After about a minute, he finally answered. "Aibou…I will try, okay. For you I will try."

"No" He said softly, holding the man's intense ruby gaze, "I don't want it to be for me. I want it to be for you. I want to see you happy, you rarely ever smile, and when you do – it's more of a smirk than a true smile. I've seen a glimpse of the real person behind the front that you put up, but it's not enough. I don't like it when you get all pissed off at some mistake that you think you made. It's time to let it go. There are other ways to waste energy. I can think of a good one right now…I want you Atemu, but I want the real you, not the perfectionist who fears getting close to another person, the real you. The person I caught sight of earlier this week." Yugi's voice turned husky as he whispered the last part of his comment, catching the ruby eyed agent's attention rather quickly, as Atemu studied his face for the truth.

Finally realizing that he was where he wanted to be all along…That this small, strikingly beautiful angel was offering him acceptance, for who he was. Not for what he could offer, or for what he could do, but for who he was. All their talks, all the times that Yugi had said that he cared, everything was finally starting to sink in to the agent's mind. It was true, he had shown more of his true personality over the past couple of weeks, but he still had this niggling doubt that what the teen wanted was for someone to protect him, to take over the role of his dead caretaker, and so he acted accordingly.

"That's not true, you know." Yugi answered Atemu's thought with a quiet voice.

This time, the ruby eyed agent wasn't surprised. With a sigh, he replied "I know it; it just takes a while to convince myself that you're really here, that you exist. I'm so used to being on my own, being feared by everyone that knows me, other than my family. It's far easier to convince myself that people don't want to get to know me than it is to think that someone could care."

"Well, stop. I do care, and I'm not going anywhere other than where you take me." Yugi closed the distance between them, practically begging to be kissed.

Atemu accepted the gesture, capturing pliant lips within his own, his hands wandering down the teen's slender back to cup his rear end. The agent practically purred when he heard the breathless moan the boy made. This had to be true, it couldn't be a dream. Not this time. The boy in his lap had to be his, Atemu wanted so badly for this night to not be another dream, like so many others that he'd had in the past. When the agent opened his eyes, he realized that the teen had made no move to get away from him. And he thanked any god listening for sending him the small angel.

Pulling away, he found a sensitive patch of skin, just below the teen's ear that was perfect territory for him to mark. Giving a little nip to the earlobe, his hands automatically tightened around the boy's rear as Yugi unconsciously grasped his shoulders; his breath coming in short bursts as he squirmed on the agent's lap.

"Please Atemu, I need you." Yugi panted, his breath fanning warmly against Atemu's neck, causing goose bumps to rise on the sensitive skin. The small teen was already aroused from the attention that the agent was currently giving him. And becoming more so with every passing moment.

"Are you sure you're ready to take this step with me little one?" The agent pulled back to question the teen. He would give the boy one last out while he could still think coherently.

Soft lips returned to Atemu's, just a scant inch away as Yugi breathed "I want you; you are my Yami, my darkness, the other half of my soul. I have wanted you ever since I first laid eyes on you. Please?" The small teen was ready to beg to just to have the other hold him, love him like he needed so desperately.

Pressing his lips briefly against Yugi's, Atemu whispered "Who am I to deny you, my Hikari…Aibou. But I think we might want to take this into the other room. This couch is too small for the both of us."

Yugi giggled lightly at the off handed comment, and then clapped a hand over his mouth at the sound, amethyst eyes wide. "Did I just do that?" He groaned, horrified by the un-masculine sound.

"Yes…you just giggled Hikari mine." Atemu smirked at the surprised boy. The small teen looked adorable with his reddened face; his eyes open wide in shock at the sound that had just come out of his mouth.

Taking advantage of the teen's lapse in attention, Atemu hefted their weight off the couch - almost losing his balance as Yugi wrapped his slender legs around his waist, bringing their arousals into contact with each other. The small teen wrapped his arms around Atemu's neck for balance, burying his head in the agent's neck.

They made it to the bedroom without any further mishap, where the agent suddenly dropped a surprised Yugi onto the bed. Both of them laughing lightly; Atemu at the disgruntled look on Yugi's face when he found himself dumped backwards onto the bed, Yugi at the contentment in his new lover's grin. Their laughter died when they looked at each other, a look of profound happiness taking its place. It was their time, no matter what happened afterwards, no one could take this from them.

Atemu leaned in, perched on the edge of the bed as he pulled Yugi up to his knees for a passionate kiss. As they broke apart, he whispered "God little one, I want you so bad right now. You have no idea what you do to me, do you?"

The small teen blinked back at him innocently, his words belying the naive look he was giving as he pressed his slender body wantonly against Atemu's. "If it's anything like what you're doing to me, then yes, I do."

The agent groaned softly, his imagination in overdrive, before gently disentangling himself from the boy. There was something that he needed before their night could continue.

"Give me just a minute Aibou. I need to get something." Atemu chuckled lightly as he walked out to the bathroom. After rummaging around the cabinet for a minute, he calmly walked back into the bedroom, a small bottle clutched tightly in his hands – warming massage oil. There was no way he was going to hurt his little one if he could help it.

"I think this will do for what we're planning." He smirked as he returned to his place perched on the edge of the bed, showing the bottle to Yugi.

"O-oh." Yugi's face turned a bright shade of red as he got a good look at the bottle that was in his soon-to-be lover's hands. Everything he had ever heard about the act of making love rushing into his thoughts and causing his face to warm. Just the thought of what they were going to do was causing the blood to rush to his face at the same speed as it rushed to another part of his anatomy, making his heart race in anticipation.

Atemu gave him a suspicious look. "You do understand what we're going to do, don't you?"

This time the teen's face turned a deep crimson color as he sputtered a reply. "I-I…we…you're going to put…tha…your…we're going to have sex?" He trailed off to a whisper, swallowing thickly as he studied his tightly clasped hands.

Atemu climbed up onto the bed, until he was inches away from his lover's embarrassed face. His voice husky with need "That's right Aibou; I'm going to take this…" He grabbed the teen's hand and put it to his very obvious arousal, letting the boy curiously run his hand over soft cloth that covered the throbbing appendage. Then, he reached over, sliding a hand between Yugi's spread knees to touch the one place that no one had ever touched other than Yugi himself, as he nibbled on an earlobe, his breath fanning across sensitive skin, causing goose bumps as it passed. "…and I'm going to put it here…"

The teen sucked in a breath at the gentle touch, his hands moving reflexively to Atemu's shoulders, squeezing tightly as the agent's hand rubbed against him, massaging him softly. Atemu continued to massage Yugi through his jeans as he nibbled a path down the boy's neck, to his collar bone. He gave the protrusion a slight nip - causing Yugi to jump slightly - before soothing the injury with his lips and his tongue.

Mind still slightly fuzzy from the alcohol he had consumed, Yugi was on cloud nine when Atemu started to tease and taste the skin that was within his easy reach, licking a path from his sensitive ear down his neck to run along the collar of his tee shirt. Every nerve in the teen's petite body was responding to the stimulus that his soul mate was providing with his tongue, his teeth and his hand. Groaning audibly, the small teen moved against the slender hand that was gently massaging his lower regions. At the breathy sound, Atemu turned his attention to the teen's lips, pulling him in for a deep, erotic kiss.

"Oh god Atemu, I…I want you…" Yugi murmured breathlessly as they broke apart.

Yugi's slim body was on fire from the tips of his fingers, which had grasped tightly on to the front of Atemu's black tee-shirt, all the way down to his curled toes. The diminutive teen could feel his temperature rise with every gentle movement of the other's hand, with every lick and nip as Atemu turned his attention to a small, ultra-sensitive spot on his neck just below his ear, causing a deep shudder to rock the teen's lithe frame.

Atemu gently laid the breathless, trembling teen back on the bed, covering him with his slender body. Yugi automatically lifted his arms to wrap them around the man's broad shoulders, feeling the corded muscles as they flexed beneath his fingertips with every minute movement, wrapping his legs around his waist. And then Atemu started to rock against him, grinding his clothed arousal up against Yugi's, taking the small teen's very breath away with his slow, erotic movements.

The agent glanced down at his soon to be lover, taking in the boy's sensual look; the slightly parted lips, the flush on his cheeks, those glorious amethyst eyes closed tightly. Groaning faintly as Yugi wound his small hands into his thick tricolor hair, pulling slightly every time Atemu rocked against him. His little one resembled an angel that he had seen on a painting in his youth, an ethereal, untouchable angel as he writhed wantonly against Atemu's larger, more muscular body in complete bliss. He leaned back in to taste the treasure that now belonged to him and him alone.

The agent ran his fingers around the top of Yugi's pants, pulling his tee shirt away from his jeans – sliding underneath to caress the soft, fair skin hidden from his view. His actions causing the boy to squirm against him, igniting a fire deep within his lower regions. In one fluid movement, the shirt was gone from the teen's body, exposing more of the enticing flesh beneath. Atemu dipped his head, intent on tasting every inch of the pale, soft skin that was bared to his eyes.

"No fair" Yugi pouted, his small frame trembling under Atemu's onslaught.

"Aw, poor baby." Atemu responded as he kissed a trail down the teen's stomach, mapping out all the teen's sensitive areas with his tongue.

The small teen pouted for a few more seconds, before Atemu found a particularly sensitive spot just to the right of his belly button, then his whole body trembled as he let out a pleasured moan. The agent worked that spot over, grazing it with his teeth, only to soothe it with his tongue. He felt the small teen arch up underneath him as he ran his hand around the waistband of the teen's hip hugging jeans. The boy was so very sensitive to every move that he made. In a sudden bout of possessiveness, Atemu wondered if anyone else had laid claim to the fragile being writhing so sensually beneath him.

"Aibou…have you ever…done this before?"

Yugi studied his other half from beneath thick lashes, understanding the need behind the question. He knew that the man's confidence was still lagging, it was apparent to him even though Atemu hid it well beneath his haughty exterior. But for him to voice the question meant that it was lagging even below what he had first thought.

Quickly, Yugi sought to relieve his lover's mind. "No, you're the first. Have you?"

Atemu looked relieved, before his face took on a reddish hue. "I've never gotten that far. I'm not ignorant about what happens, but the knowledge I have comes second hand, from my cousins and their exploits."

So, he wasn't the only person who hadn't ever had the pleasure of sex. The small teen was overjoyed by the admission. "Good." He replied breathily, leaning up for a kiss. "That just means that you belong to me."

Atemu leaned in, obliging his new lover. "As do you to me. But just because I haven't gone all the way doesn't mean that I don't know how to do this." He whispered, taking those soft lips into his own, coaxing the teen to open his mouth. Their tongues battled for dominance, Atemu's winning in the end, as he reaped his rewards, exploring every inch of the teen's mouth with his tongue.

As they broke apart, Yugi whispered "Then show me."

"With pleasure." Atemu replied, unzipping the teen's pants, to touch what lay hidden beneath, running his fingers lazily over the tip as Yugi arched up into the contact with a low groan, his breath taken away as Atemu started to caress his erection firmly, the pressure building in the pit of his stomach with each leisurely stroke.

Before Yugi knew it, his pants were lying in a pool on the floor – and he had no earthly idea how they ended up there. Atemu's shirt and pants soon followed their fate. The pair fell back upon the bed in a tangle of limbs, breathless noises of passion heard throughout the cozy bedroom.

Atemu hummed appreciatively as he beheld the lithe figure of his small lover, the boy laid bare before him. His little one had a body to die for, with his slim hips and tapered waist. The agent now understood what a starving man felt like at the sight of a buffet. After looking his fill, he took the boy back into his arms kissing him long and hard as he ran his hands over the silky, porcelain skin.

"You're beautiful Aibou." He breathed in awe as they pulled apart.

"So are you." Yugi answered truthfully, unable to take his eyes off the agent's masculine physique. The teen had been close to drooling as his lover bared himself, showing off his tan, well defined chest, flat stomach and slender hips and legs. The man was a god in human flesh, and the look in his exotic eyes was quickly turning Yugi to mush.

"Love me, please." He murmured one last time.

"Always." Atemu replied, running his hands over the teen's exposed chest, and down to his thighs teasingly, bypassing the one area that Yugi really wanted him to touch.

Arching into the teasing touch, Yugi groaned softly. "Please…"

"Hmmm, did you want something little one?" Atemu questioned, his hand trailing from one thigh up to the teen's stomach and back down to his other thigh. He smiled when the boy's breath quickened - and he moved against his hand, his whole body trembling in want.

"You…" The small teen replied breathily.

"As you wish." Atemu countered, skimming the boy's thighs with his fingertips until he reached the place where Yugi wanted him to touch, his calloused hand tickling the sparse patch of hair that marked Yugi as old enough for them to be entertaining the notion of having sex.

Wrapping his fingers around his lover's throbbing erection, Atemu started stroking the rigid flesh, wringing another heartfelt groan from the teen's kiss bruised lips. The agent's eyes lingered on his lover's euphoric face for only a second before he leaned over the teen's hardened length and gave the tip a quick kiss. With a screech, Yugi's body arched off the bed, surprising Atemu into backing off. Repositioning his arms, the ruby eyed agent returned to his work, one hand pressing the boy firmly into the mattress.

Satisfied that the boy wasn't going to be able to do that again, Atemu leaned in to taste his lover fully, engulfing the tip in his moist mouth. Yugi, unable to move his body, fisted his hands in the sheets, his toes curling in anticipation.

Once he was finished teasing the boy, Atemu began to move his head over the teen's throbbing manhood, fisting what he couldn't fit into his mouth. Even though this was his first time doing this, his diminutive lover seemed to be enjoying what he was doing, making small noises as he writhed underneath Atemu's attention. Deciding that he had toyed with the teen enough, Atemu moved slowly up his body to draw him into another passionate kiss before taking the bottle of oil that he had laid off to the side, and coating his fingers with it.

Liquid ruby eyes burning into Yugi's wide amethyst ones, the agent positioned a slick finger at the boy's virgin entrance, teasing the soft skin around it with light strokes. The teen sucked in his breath, grasping the sheets beneath him tightly, as the slender digit wriggled its way up into his body, massaging him from the inside. The touch felt vaguely uncomfortable, and Yugi made a face, his body trying to expel the invader. But Atemu continued on, pressing the lone digit up further inside the tight channel, searching for one certain spot.

"Ngh! Atemu!" Yugi cried out as his toes curled in reaction to his prostate being hit. The pleasure was so intense, so completely unexpected. Automatically, his body began rocking back against the intruder, searching for more of what he had just felt a moment ago.

Atemu smirked when he heard the cry, knowing that he had found what he was searching for. He quickly added a second finger to the first, thrusting them in and out of the tight heat, working the teen over until he was chanting Atemu's name like a mantra, his small hands fisted in the sheets as his body writhed beneath the onslaught of the new and powerful feelings . As the third finger entered the tight channel, Atemu stopped, hearing the teen's surprised hiss of discomfort.

"Are you okay?" Atemu asked, staring down into heavy lidded amethyst eyes.

"Mmm-hmm. I'm fine, just hurts a little." Yugi replied, his small hands still fisted in the silken sheets, holding on for dear life. "Please, go on."

This time Atemu moved a little slower so as not to cause any more pain than necessary. This being the teen's first time there was bound to be some pain, but he vowed not to make it any worse than it had to be. Slowly he worked the third finger up into the boy's tight channel, trying to find the spot that would help him to forget the pain. The agent smirked slightly when his little one arched off the bed, his cry loud and unrestrained. Aiming for that spot again, Atemu pleasured the boy with his hand, watching his face as he cried out repeatedly.

When Yugi was taking three of his fingers with all signs of pleasure, his flagging erection returning, Atemu decided that it was time to move on. The agent withdrew his fingers, to the boy's groan of disappointment.

Using the oil to slick up his erection, Atemu placed his throbbing member at the entrance to his lover's body. Lowering his mouth, he drew the boy into an earth shattering kiss as he slowly entered the tight warmth. Small hands came up to clench tightly at his shoulders as he slid home inside his lover's tight, willing body, as Yugi pulled out of the kiss to turn his head go the side, biting his lip to keep from crying out.

Yugi closed his eyes, trying to will the pain of his first time away. It took forever for Atemu to sheathe himself fully – or at least it felt like it to him, as he waited for the burning pain to subside. The small teen could feel each and every inch of Atemu's swollen length as it was buried deep inside his body, filling and stretching him to his limits. A small noise of discomfort made its way past his lips, catching the agent's attention.

Once he was fully seated within his new lover's virgin body, Atemu held himself from moving. "Are you okay little one?" He asked, gently smoothing away a tear as it leaked from under the teen's tightly closed eyes.

"Mm-hmm, I'll be okay. Just give me a minute."

"Take all the time you need Aibou. God, you're so tight! If it gets to be too much, please tell me. I'll understand."

The small teen glanced up at his new lover, touched by the concern that he was showing. Neither of them moved as they both waited for Yugi to adjust to Atemu's large size. After a few moments, Yugi gave an experimental roll of his hips, surprised when the burn didn't worsen. This he could deal with, it wasn't so bad. At first it felt like he was being torn apart, now that he was a little more used to Atemu's girth filling him, he felt like he needed to move, to release some pent up energy, so he pushed back against his lover, relishing in the surprised moan that exited Atemu's mouth.

"Oh god!" Atemu pushed back, sliding deeper into the tight warmth that surrounded his length.

The pair began to rock slowly against each other, trying to establish a rhythm, the pressure beginning to build deep within Yugi's body as his partner slid out, only to return, filling him again and again, creating a friction that left him moaning Atemu's name and craving more of the white hot feelings that he was generating. And that was before the agent switched his position, pulling the teen's legs up over his shoulders, aiming directly for his prostate.

"AHH-HAA!" Yugi cried out, as an intense, pleasurable jolt ran through his body, causing his toes to curl and his feet to go numb.

Atemu smirked, aiming for that spot again, driving the teen to the brink of euphoria as he pounded away inside of his lover's tight body. Just the feeling of those silken walls surrounding his swollen manhood was enough to make his eyes roll to the back of his head in pleasure. He couldn't take much more of this pressure that was building within his body. He could feel the coil of heat in his lower regions tightening.

Never before had Atemu thought that making love could feel _so good. _The feeling was almost indescribable, as Yugi writhed beneath him, urging him to create more of that desirable friction. Again and again, he drove into his lover's pale, willing body, his only thoughts centering on pleasuring this small, angelic being that was willing to look past his oddities and see into his very soul.

"Ngh…At…Atemu...I…please." Yugi panted. He arched up into Atemu's thrusts, craving that sweet friction, all coherent thought lost as the agent continued to strike his sweet spot unerringly with each and every thrust.

The taller of the two reached between them, to grab a hold of Yugi's erection, pumping gently in time with his thrusts. It quickly sent the small teen over the edge with a cry.

"ATEMU!AHHHH!"

Atemu felt the warmth covering his hand at the same time the silken sheath tightened considerably around his length, squeezing him tightly. He spilled his seed into his teen lover with a cry, before losing all muscle movement to the sheer exhilaration of the potent climax, pulling out as he dropped to the side of his exhausted lover.

Raising himself shakily on one arm, Atemu reached out to pull the boy close to him, planting a tired kiss on his lips. "God I love you."

"I love you too. That was amazing!" Yugi gasped, trying to regain his breath as he curled up against his exhausted lover.

"Mm-hm." Was the only comment Atemu had the strength to voice before closing his eyes.

Eventually, Atemu gained enough strength to reach down and pull the sheet that they had kicked off the end of the bed over them before curling back up against the small teen and dropping off into a peaceful, sated sleep. It may have still been early, but after the eventful day they'd had, neither one of them was leaving this bed unless it was a dire emergency.

An hour later the continual beeping of the cell phone woke Atemu from a dead sleep. The agent fumbled around, cursing, as he knocked the bottle off the table from where he had placed it earlier in the night, before closing his hand around the shrill device.

Atemu brought the phone to his ear. "Yes?"

"Get out of there! Now!"

No further explanation was needed.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	11. Chapter 11

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Quick! In here!" Shadi backpedaled, dragging Isis along with him, to yank open the heavy glass door - almost causing the lady to lose her balance, as her fashionably heeled shoe didn't allow for that type of movement. Once inside the store the two agents crouched down low behind a rather garish display of lifeless mannequins that took up the large front window, breathing hard. Not the greatest hiding spot, but it would have to do for now - the pickings were kind of slim.

Together, they watched from their place behind the gaudy display as a couple of men flew past the store - obviously in search of someone - as they looked left and right, their expensive clothing rumpled and stained with the remnants of a hot dog with the works. In any other context, the sight would have been laughable, but at present it only served to remind the two out of breath agents of how precarious their situation was. A few moments later and another couple of men followed the ones that had passed by earlier, only this time with a little more caution – and a little less speed.

These people weren't just going to spy on them and track their movement; that was for certain. Already, one had attempted to make a grab for them in the parking lot, falling back only when the crowds of people came into view. They must already know where the witness is, to make a bold move like that.

What neither group had expected, was to see crowds of people milling aimlessly around the outdoor mall, as it was technically after hours. But apparently there was a mall wide sale going on. With that unexpected surprise working to their advantage, the two agents temporarily evaded their pursuers by mixing with the throngs of shoppers out wandering the stores for their after-hours shopping season kick off sale.

But it hadn't lasted long, and they had been forced to find another way to elude their attackers. That was how the two out of breath agents came to be crouching behind the most extravagant display of dummies in leather bondage wear that Isis had ever seen.

As soon as the coast was clear, the duo began to quickly wind their way to the back of the store, looking for an exit. A stroke of luck earlier had put a rather large man, eating his hotdog and not paying any attention to his surroundings, between the two agents and the men who were chasing them. The ensuing accident gave them enough time to duck into one of the many stores before they were seen.

It was only a small time advantage, but they would use it to the best of their abilities. Reason stood that if they weren't found by the end of the strip mall that their pursuers would be back for a more thorough search of all the stores. They needed to be long gone by then, or have a plan ready for dealing with their unwanted cling-ons.

"May I help you?" The clerk asked around the wad of chewing gum in her painted mouth, not even bothering to look up as she flipped through a magazine that was lying on the counter. Her bored question was automatic. This was not the most popular shop in the mall, catering only to those with a more punk-ish flair. So far her day had not been all that entertaining.

"Here!" Isis hissed as she jerked her husband toward the back room of the store.

"Hey! You can't go back there."

Shit, now they caught the girl's attention. The small, black clothed teen started to head them off before they could duck into the doorway that was marked employees only, the many chains around her waist jingling merrily with her every movement.

Isis snatched a hold of the girl as soon as she was within range, grabbing her arm tightly – forcing her to walk with them, without breaking their brisk pace as they continued into the back room. The girl quit struggling only when Isis pulled her coat to the side, showing off the gleaming black gun that was attached to her side holster. The girl's large grey eyes beginning to show tearful reluctance at being used as a hostage.

"Hush…I'm not going to hurt you. All we need is a phone and a way out. Then I need you to leave this store. You are in some serious danger if they come back here."

"Wha…What's going on? Who are _they_?" The girl managed to squeak, her tiny voice betraying her fright as she glanced between the two agents.

Shadi gave a tired smile, trying to put their captive at ease. "Do not worry about them for the moment. We need your help. Do you have a phone, cell or otherwise, that we can use for a minute? It's a matter of life or death."

The teenage clerk nodded shakily, as she pointed to the purse that sat on the table of what was the store break room. Since she was the only one on duty, she figured it would probably be a good idea to go along with the crazy people who invaded her place of work.

Shadi raced to the table, snatching up the purse, to dump its contents all over the small table top. Finding the complicatedly small device hiding in between all of the make up and other knick knacks that fell out of the purse almost proved to be a challenge, but after sifting through the junk for a few minutes, the bald man held his hand up triumphantly.

Entering a number he had long ago committed to memory, the agent waited for what seemed like ever to hear the sound of ringing. "Come on come on come on."

The ringing stopped abruptly, but no words of welcome were voiced over the phone. "Atemu?" He asked cautiously.

"Shadi!" A whispered voice came back to him, calming his heart rate. His youngest son was alive. Thank the gods. "Where are you?"

Sensing that is wasn't quite safe for the other to talk; Shadi began to whisper as well. "There's no time for that. You need to get out of there. Someone's coming for you."

"…They're here already. They know everything about us, I don't know how, but they do. Now where are you?" Atemu hissed, after a long moment of agonizing silence.

"We're in the mall behind the Bureau. What do you mean they know where everyone is?" His grip tightened on the small phone as he wondered if that _everyone_ included his nephew and elder son. The bald agent was about to ask, when he was cut off by the whispering voice on the other end.

"I'm sending Malik. Just hang tight." _Click_. The phone disconnected.

"Atemu?"

"Atemu?"

Frustrated, Shadi redialed the number, getting only a busy signal. "Shit!"

"What happened?" Isis called out to her husband worriedly.

"He hung up. How do we get out of here?" The bald agent turned his gaze towards their captive, his deep brown eyes showing none of his scrambled feelings.

Their whole mission was going down in flames. They had to get to the witness or all hope was lost. And that meant getting rid of the people tailing them – one way or another. Hopefully they could lose them and backtrack to find a car…something; he really didn't want to kill them, a couple of the people chasing them were agents from his work. And he wasn't sure if they were just obeying orders or if there was a more sinister reason for their chase. But then again, the bald agent didn't want to count any of his boys among the dead when this was all sorted out, either. It was a lose – lose situation all the way around.

"Keep going down the hall, to the last door on the right. It leads out the back way through shipping." The girl pointed down the dimly lit hallway, the only other way out of the room.

Isis gave her captive a strong push back towards the outer room, hissing "Get out of here!" Before quickly following Shadi, who was already making his way down the carpeted hall.

The agents fled the hall, into the receiving area, heading towards the exit. By the time they reached out to open the door to the back of the store, they heard an excited shout coming from the front of the shop, closely followed by a shrill scream and, even worse, a single gunshot.

They had been found. It was time to go. Isis gave one last look back towards the sound before pushing out the door, to find a place to hide. They couldn't continue running. If they wanted to know what else this group was up to, their only option was to turn the tables on them – turn the predators into the prey.

With enough luck, they would have time to put her plan into motion. If only Shadi would agree to it. After all, some of these people were their coworkers they were fighting against. Mislead or not, these people were trying to kill them. And someone had just shot an innocent person. Turnabout was fair play.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"We're on it!" Marik slapped his cell phone against his thigh, effectively closing it. "Malik, I need you." He yelled, pulling his keys from off the key rack, and his gun from off the counter top.

After checking the chamber, the tall blonde snagged another clip in case of emergency. He was so going to commit murder if anything happened to his family. With an unholy gleam in his eyes, the blonde grabbed the rest of what he needed off the counter, shoving the items quickly into his many pockets.

Malik skidded to a stop in their small kitchen, giving Marik a blank look. The two looked like a set of twins upon first glance. But upon closer inspection, one would see the glaring differences between the duo. Malik was shorter, slimmer, and his hair was tamer than his boyfriend's spiky locks, his wide eyed expression almost mimicking an innocence of sorts, something the larger Marik couldn't do on a dare.

"What?" Malik questioned as he watched his partner – in more ways than one – grab the items off the counter. He could already sense the gravity of the situation by the slightly crazed look in his boyfriend's lilac eyes.

"Your sister is in trouble." Marik responded in all seriousness. "Atemu said they were at the mall."

"Let's go!" Malik was already flying out the door, his shoes in his hands as he sprinted to their car, leaving the taller man in the dust as he clumsily tried to follow after twisting his ankle on the porch step.

The two flew out of the driveway, and down the road. If they could find Isis and Shadi's trail, they had a decent chance of catching up with the two fugitive agents. Malik was the best around at tracking, his abilities on par with the greatest of bloodhounds, as he used aura trails to follow where a person had been. All he needed were the person's last known whereabouts, and he could trace them for miles, unless there was a vehicle involved. Then it was up to chance. Hopefully that would not be the case here.

Their car skidded to a halt just outside the open mall. Malik throwing open the door and taking off at a run. Marik followed close behind, leaving the car in the middle of a no parking zone as he ran after his boyfriend, ignoring the pain that was flaring in his twisted ankle. No one would notice one more car parked in the fire zone. Not here. The mall resembled a zoo with its chaotic decorations and loudspeaker music, the throngs of people walking, sitting or standing wherever there was room.

They were about ten minutes behind the smaller blonde's sister, give or take. Thank god they had chosen a place to live based on its convenience and closeness to Malik's work. Hopefully, Isis and Shadi were able to hold off the attackers until they were able to provide some reinforcement. At the moment, neither blonde knew what they were up against. They were running into this situation totally blind. But, for Isis and Shadi, they would do anything. The two older agents were the glue that held their eclectic family together.

As the duo ran through the mall, narrowly avoiding the throngs of shoppers that stepped into their path, Malik proved to have already caught sight of their targets' trail, veering to the left to enter one of the many shops.

The two blondes wound their way to the back of the store, noticing that it was eerily deserted. As they opened the door to the break room, the first thing they noticed was the small teenage girl lying on the floor, blood leaking out of a small wound that pierced the center of her forehead.

Stopping only for a moment, Malik checked the girl's pulse. Dead. There was nothing they could do for her now. He resumed his tracking, following the trail out of the room and down a narrow, dimly lit hallway. Once he made it out the back door, his attention shifted into two directions. Shit, they split up!

Taking the trail that he had seen many times – it's color a deep grayish-blue, Malik followed after his sister, knowing that Shadi could take care of himself if it came down to it. Moving stealthily past the filled dumpsters and the garbage that was littering the parking lot, Malik homed in on his sister, praying hard for her safety.

A gunshot sounded off to their left, Marik splitting off to run after the noise. Malik continued on, passing the rear entrances to the shops on the mall. Not a soul was to be found out behind the stores, and there was absolutely no chance that anyone had even heard the gunshot with all the noise from the front of the mall. They were on their own back here.

A piercing scream split the silence, and Malik picked up his pace. Shit, he knew that voice. Praying to the gods, he rounded the corner of one of the receiving areas. The blonde caught sight of his sister being cornered by one of the thugs. The man was laughing as he stalked towards his prey, not even noticing as Malik pulled around the corner, taking careful aim with his weapon.

"I was hoping to have a taste of you before I send you to meet your maker." The man laughed as he deflected yet another piece of garbage that Isis was throwing at him.

"Fuck you!" Isis taunted, picking up a large piece of cement that had broken off the corner of the building. This would make a decent enough weapon, since she had lost her gun in a previous encounter. It was just her luck to have been chased by one of the people who were not FBI, those she could have handled.

Isis once again cursed her inability to predict the man's moves earlier. Not only had she lost her gun in a hand to hand fight, but her opponent had managed to deal her some damage, in the way of a broken wrist. She never should have tried to take him on alone, thinking that she could disarm him and make him talk. As trained as she was in combat, he was so much more her superior. The female agent was so concentrated on her opponent that even she failed see her brother as he snuck up on the two of them from behind the semi-trailer.

The shot exploded with a loud _crack_, taking the man to the ground with a direct hit. He didn't even see it coming, the back half of his head disintegrating, spraying Isis with bits and pieces of bloody matter.

Isis froze for a moment, the bloody mist confusing her senses. Then, chest heaving, she ran straight into her brother's waiting arms. That was so close it wasn't even funny. It was her luck that the man who came after her liked to play with his targets. It gave Malik enough time to draw a bead on him, taking him out easily.

"Shadi?" She questioned as she drew a shaky breath.

Another gunshot answered her query before Malik even had the chance. "Oh my god!" She cried, breaking out into a run, her brother right behind her. A few more gunshots followed their flight, leaving them to wonder if either of their partners was alive…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Twenty minutes earlier, somewhere in Florida:

"Shhh! Be quiet!" A voice whispered.

"Be quiet yerself! I didn't say anything!" Another voice whispered back.

"Both of you shut the fuck up, or I'm gonna knock you out!" A third voice hissed. "They're coming out!"

All three figures ceased their argument to watch closely as two black clothed men slunk out of the darkened house. The two men glanced furtively around the yard, peering into the shadows as if looking for something, neither of them seeing the three figures crouched around the side of the garage.

"You go on around the back, I'll meet you on the other side, but I think they're gone already." One of the shadows whispered.

The other one snorted quietly in disbelief. "Bull shit, they're around here somewhere. There was no way they could have been warned. This should have been a total surprise. Maybe they're just out."

"Well then, we'll have a look around and go inside and wait for them." The shorter figure walked down the porch steps and out to the driveway, disappearing into the darkness the moment his feet hit the asphalt.

Bakura watched as the two made their move, and then he held up two fingers, and then pointed to himself, and back toward the rear of the garage. Seto shook his head, pointing first to himself and then back at Bakura and pushed both hands apart. The white haired agent gave a negative shake of his head and repeated the gesture, to which Seto gave a flip of his hand before raising his middle finger in a blatantly unfriendly gesture.

Jou watched as the two agents motioned in their silent language, knowing exactly what they were arguing over. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the argument was over, the white haired agent slinking off behind the garage, staying in the shadows, the taller, blue eyed man moving stealthily out in the opposite direction. Which left him to care for the unconscious teen that had been laid out on the ground beside him.

The blonde felt bad for the quiet white haired teen. The boy had panicked so bad that he was certain he had a heart attack. But they were ever so lucky that he had managed to give the warning. Everything had happened so fast, that if it weren't for Ryou, none of them would have made it out alive. He could hardly believe the scene that had taken place fifteen minutes prior to the men's invasion.

_-"They know, they know…they're coming…Bakura! Please! They're gonna kill us all!" Ryou shouted as he shot down the stairs and into the living room._

_Jou had never seen the small white haired boy so agitated in the entire time he had been here. His chocolate colored eyes were wild as he ran from room to room, trying to find his guardian. Both Seto and Jou came flying out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was. They filed quickly down the stairs just as Bakura reached the frightened teen._

"_Who's coming?" The agent shouted, pulling the shaken youth into his arms, trying to contain the frightened teen. Ryou just kept gesturing wildly as he screamed out the warning._

"_They know…oh god…their orders are to kill us and catch Yugi! They're coming! We gotta go!" Ryou pulled at his guardian's arm, his eyes rolling around in his head. Just as suddenly as he started shouting, the teen's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he dropped to the ground._

"_Is he serious?" Seto asked as he stepped into the room. As far as he knew, the smaller white haired teen had no idea who Yugi was._

_Bakura scooped the teen into his arms. "Serious as a heart attack." To Seto he added, with a smirk. "Call Atemu now! We'll wait for them outside If they think they're gonna surprise us…Let's just give back a little of what they want to give us"-_

It wasn't five minutes after they took off out the door to hide in the yard that a dark car pulled up across the street and two would be murderers got out to break into their house.

The blonde picked his white haired friend up into his arms, waiting watching and praying for the rest of their little group to make it back. He didn't have long to wait, as one of the shadows disengaged from the front of the house, headed directly towards their hiding spot. The blonde held his breath, until he realized that it was the tall, blue eyed agent – dragging a limp body behind him.

"Took you long enough!" Bakura's smug voice sounded behind him, almost giving Jou a heart attack. The blonde turned to make a comment, but was cut off before he could even do more than growl.

"Oh like you were any faster." Seto retorted as he dropped the body on the ground at his feet. "Did you…"

"Yep, you?"

"Of course." He sniffed superiorly. "We're not going to get them to talk, no sense in keeping them around."

After a moment, Jou realized that the two were calmly discussing murder as if it were an everyday occurrence. He opened his mouth once or twice, tempted to say something…anything. But not a single phrase came to mind as he digested the fact that the agents were now standing around debating what to do with the bodies.

"…I still say we send this group a message. Put these two on display somewhere that they will be found."

"No. We are not like them. We will follow procedure."

"Fuck procedure! The Bureau has already left us hanging in the wind on this. You can already bet your sweet ass that we are on the wanted list as of a couple hours ago. I said it earlier and I'll say it again. We should give back a little taste of what they're going to try to give us! They obviously don't have a clue as to what they're fuckin' with!"

"Guys!" Jou finally sucked up enough courage to have his say. "We need to get out of here! If these guys don't make it back, aren't they going to send others?"

"Good point." Bakura concurred, plucking Ryou out of Jou's arms to make his way to the car in the driveway, pointedly ignoring the two dead bodies lying in the grass.

Seto snorted, following his cousin. After a couple of steps, he turned, "Are you coming or what?"

Jou shook himself out of his stupor and ran after him, eager to be away from the remains of the men who had tried to kill them. He didn't even want to know how they died; he had heard no noise, nothing to indicate how the agents were able to take them down.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Elsewhere;

"Shhh. Hush, Aibou. We need to be quiet." Atemu whispered softly as he glanced at the frightened teen who was whimpering quietly beside him, his amethyst eyes wild as he took in the small army of men invading what had been their home for the past couple of months.

The ruby eyed agent was ever so glad that his little one hadn't reverted to the condition that he had been in when they first met, but he couldn't help but think that the boy's small noises were going to get them caught. Taking a quick peek out of their hiding spot underneath the roots of the large maple tree that a long ago storm had not quite managed to blow over, he attempted to assess the locations of all the men swarming around his cabin. His plan was to stay hidden within mental range of his enemies, maybe glean a few facts from their unknowing minds. But, considering his teenage lover's frame of mind, it was probably not his best course of action.

And now they were stuck here, waiting, while these men tore apart his only refuge from the outside world. And there was nothing he could do about it - at least not while his little one was still in danger from these men. Atemu gritted his teeth as a resounding crash came from inside the cabin. Well, there went the kitchen. He focused his powers, learning that one of the men thought the cupboards would make for a good hiding spot. The agent was brought back to himself as he felt Yugi shudder against him a sob wracking his small frame.

"It'll be okay little one. As long as they don't hear us they won't come anywhere near here."

"You…say that…as if you know." The small teen sobbed, trying to control the volume of his voice.

Yugi was completely terrified. This was the same scene that unfolded when his imagination ran away from him earlier in the night. Except now he knew that Atemu was in danger, right along with him – instead of wondering. How were they going to survive the night? These men had orders to kill Atemu and take him back alive, by any means necessary. That was the first thought he heard when the men were close enough for him to read. And it was present in each and every one of their minds.

"I do. Think about it little one."

Atemu's voice was so certain; Yugi looked up into his lover's glowing ruby eyes questioningly.

"I've been directing their attention away from here, giving them a little push with my mind." Atemu answered the question without taking his glare off their unwanted guests. "They will not come over here unless they hear something."

"I…I'm sorry…(hic)I can't…help…it." Yugi mumbled as he bit down on his hand to relieve the pressure that was building up, this time drawing blood.

Taking his eyes off the scene that was unfolding before them to glance down at the teen shaking in his arms, Atemu felt his heart stir at the sight the teen presented. Yugi was crouched down in their hiding spot, clinging tightly to his arm, panicked tears falling from his eyes as his whole body trembled with fear.

Wondering if he could split his concentration, the ruby eye agent decided that it would be in their best interest if he could calm the boy down. They needed to remain as silent as possible if they were to survive the night. Reaching down, he pulled the terrified teen into a hard, passionate kiss. It took a few tense moments, and then Yugi started to respond to him, opening his mouth to let him explore.

Atemu could still see through the minds of the men who were still swarming over the grounds and the house, attempting to find their hiding spot. But most of his attention was on the boy in his arms. His little one had already been through enough trauma. If there was a chance to lessen the impact of what was happening now, and keep the boy in the real world, he was going to take it.

As the agent continued to kiss and torment his smaller lover with gentle touches and light caresses, the boy's awareness of their predicament became less and less. He writhed against Atemu's talented hands, his breathing becoming labored as the man played his body like a finely tuned instrument, knowing exactly where to touch to get a reaction.

Keeping a mental eye on their intruders, Atemu reached down to fondle his little one, swallowing a breathy moan with yet another passionate kiss. Then, unable to help himself, the ruby eyed agent took it a step further, unzipping the boy's pants to run his hand along the bottom of his half hard member. He had to remind himself that this was not the best time do what he really wanted – his little one was probably sore from their fun earlier. Not to mention their visitors were bound to hear that noise very clearly.

As he continued to stroke and tease the boy towards his climax, Atemu felt his pant leg vibrate. It took him a minute to understand exactly what was happening. His phone! He forgot that he had taken it with him when they had hurriedly dressed and jumped out the back window of the house.

He reluctantly pulled his hand away from his lover, the boy sagging breathlessly against his body, to snag the phone from his pocket. He couldn't make out the number that was being displayed in the dim moonlight. It was too bad that he had dropped it earlier, the light on the display winking out, never to come on again. He really could have used that feature right about now.

Cautiously, he held the device up to his ear, wondering if their pursuers had managed to get a hold of this number. If they had, it was all but over. This phone could be tracked via GPS without him even having to answer it.

"Atemu?" Shadi's welcome voice sounded over the speaker.

"Shadi!" He whispered, not wanting the men who were still crawling all over his property to hear him. It was doubtful that he could be overheard, as far away as the men were now. But it paid to be cautious. "Where are you?"

The younger agent was pretty certain that if he and his brother and cousin had been found that his adoptive parents were also in trouble. The only people that this group didn't seem to know about were his uncle Malik and his lover. No where in any of the minds that he had searched did he come up with any information on the two blondes. Which was a little odd. Atemu was certain that there was a clue hidden in that little fact. But right now was not the time to ponder the question.

"There's no time for that. You need to get out of there! Someone's coming for you!" Shadi's whispered voice came back to him.

Just then an agonized shriek came from one of the men wandering his property, calling the others to his aid. Atemu turned his attention back to the minds of their pursuers with a quiet snicker.

Apparently, one of them had fallen prey to one of the many traps that he had laid out around the cabin the first year he bought the place. They were intended for trapping some of the predators that the government imported to this area to keep the natural animals from overpopulating. He hadn't liked the idea when he heard of it, so he retaliated by setting up intricate traps in the surrounding forest. And that particular idea had just paid off more than he could have ever hoped for

It was a pity that the man would live. He had fallen into one of the more tame traps, losing only a leg rather than his very life. Remembering that Shadi was still on the line, Atemu turned his attention from the melee allowing himself only a small smirk at the man's plight.

"They're here already. They know everything about us. I don't know how but they do. Now where are you?"

After listening to Shadi's reply, the ruby eyed agent hissed "I'm sending Malik, just hang tight," before disconnecting the call.

He then proceeded to punch in Marik's number, all but snarling by the time that the phone was answered. He relayed Shadi and Isis's location, along with the directions to where he and Yugi were headed if they got away alive before disconnecting the call to take the back of the phone apart and pull the guts out of it. Even if the other group didn't know about the phone, they would find out as soon as they discovered the bills in his desk drawer. Fortunately for him, they were too intent on finding him and Yugi instead of looking around a little closer.

Speaking of Yugi, the boy had made not a sound the entire time he was on the phone. Not even a whimper. "Are you okay little one?" Atemu questioned in a whispered voice.

"I'm fine…just scared." Came the muffled reply from the front of his shirt.

Atemu leaned down to nip at an exposed earlobe. "Do I need to help you get over your fear Aibou?"

Yugi shuddered against his chest, his heart rate picking up. Atemu decided to finish what he had started earlier. The two of them hiding well into the night as the agent's property was picked through by the vultures that had intruded on them earlier. But neither of the two tricolor haired boys took much notice other than to make sure that they were left alone, until the men were called away in the wee hours of the morning, leaving only a handful of men to guard the now empty house.

Atemu smirked. Four? That was all the men that were left behind? They obviously didn't know him very well, did they? This was going to be like taking candy from a baby. Reaching out with his well tuned power, -the shadows around the property taking on a physical presence - he turned his attention to first one, then another of the men, until all four of them were writhing on the ground, caught in the tight grip of their own personal nightmares.

With one last look back at the incapacitated men, he pulled Yugi out of their hiding spot and took off for the thick forest of trees. They would go the long way to get back to civilization. It would be too much of a risk to take the short cut.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~


	12. Chapter 12

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Pulling the pilfered miniature four wheel drive carefully into the tall weeds on the side of the road, just out of sight of their intended destination, Atemu reached down to wake his exhausted lover. The boy had to be dead tired, to be able to sleep in that uncomfortable, crunched up position.

Since they hadn't gotten any real sleep today, or even last night for that matter, Atemu was fairly exhausted himself; he couldn't even begin to imagine what his small lover felt like. The ruby eyed agent was used to pulling all-nighters - his days in college weren't too far in the past, but even he was feeling the after effects from the night before. It was clear as early as o' dark thirty this morning that his petite lover wouldn't have been able to make it for too much longer without rest.

As it was Yugi had tried valiantly to remain awake through their drive, but the constant, monotonous hum of the stolen truck's engine had lulled him to sleep within a couple of hours on the road, his head dropping softly into Atemu's lap. And there he stayed, curled up tightly in his seat, his small hands clasped around the agent's thigh, until Atemu laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Wake up little one, we're here." Atemu stated tiredly. "But we must still be cautious. I don't know if the others made it or not."

Yugi nodded drowsily, trying to clear the remaining fog from his brain, hissing in discomfort as he tried to sit upright in his seat. His whole body hurt…badly. As much from the previous night's activities as from the way he curled up in the seat. Stretching his cramped muscles, Yugi glanced blearily up at his formidable lover, to see that the man's scarlet gaze was still focused intently on something across the field.

Keeping his eyes trained on the house that was barely visible in the distance, Atemu reminded his charge "Keep your thoughts concealed until we know for certain. Just because the people we've run up against so far haven't had any real power doesn't mean that none of them do. And I don't want to just walk straight into this. We'll stick to the field and if I say run – you run."

Yugi shuddered at the reminder. For all they knew, they could be walking straight into a trap. Stretching slowly, the small teen allowed the world to slowly come into focus, staring at the massive, rundown farmhouse that they had parked a full farm field – almost a mile - away from. Clearly this was their destination. There wasn't any other shelter in sight.

Getting out of the vehicle, the two approached the house cautiously on foot from the fallow, weed infested field, Atemu scanning the vicinity every so often, expecting a trap. But the area appeared to be completely deserted. At least to the naked eye. It was almost too silent, no birds…no nothing. Not even a breeze ruffled their hair as they moved steadily towards their destination.

The closer they got, the more Yugi began to fear what was in the house, the hair on the back of his neck prickling warningly. The immense colonial farm house looked completely abandoned, a shutter or two hanging at awkward angles from a couple of the tall, pre-civil war era windows.

A broken down barn could be seen in the distance, its roof missing completely, one of its sides completely reduced to rubble. It was amazing that the rickety old structure was still standing. Turning his gaze back to the looming house, the small teen shivered. He could feel something watching him from the vacant windows, but he could sense no conscious thoughts from anywhere.

'_At-Atemu…I don't like…th-this.'_ Even the teen's mental _voice_ was shaking, a deep shudder passing through his small frame.

Atemu put his arm around the shivering youth as he continued creeping through the tall weeds towards the house. _'It'll be okay Aibou. I can't sense anything either. But Bakura knows how to mask thoughts. I'm hoping that this is his handiwork. If not though, we need to be ready.'_

For assurance, the agent touched the gun that he had tucked in the back of his pants. He just hoped it wasn't needed. He so hated to kill people. But there was literally no way the murderous cult could have found out about this place unless they had a hold of Bakura –and were able to make him talk. It was the only reason he kept walking instead of turning around and taking his little one back to the waiting truck. This just had to be his cousin's work.

Yugi nodded, but remained unconvinced. They continued walking, stepping cautiously out of the concealing weeds to cross the gravel driveway at the back of the house. Climbing the broken steps one at a time behind his courageous lover, the diminutive teen almost gave in to his thoughts of taking flight back towards the small Blazer that they had stolen in their hasty retreat from the cabin.

The house was eerie in its total silence, not to mention that its appearance was like something straight out of one of the horror movies that he had been forced to watch with his friends many months ago. What was the name of that movie…? Ah yes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Yugi shuddered again at the thought. He didn't think that he could go through with this…

Atemu turned the handle on the door slowly. He didn't think they were walking into a trap, the house was entirely too silent for that. Only someone with Bakura's talent could mask a whole group of people's thoughts. Though, how his cousin managed to make the house so foreboding, so menacing, was beyond him. This place positively reeked of the threat of violence.

The mistrustful agent ducked behind the door as it creaked open, ready to flee if it was in fact a trap. The voice behind him came so unexpectedly that he jumped in spite of himself.

"What the fuck! It took you long enough." Bakura drawled from the back corner of the house, taking delight in the way his younger cousin jumped in fright, whirling to face him head on – Yugi tucked behind him as he moved, the gun that was hidden in his pants cocked and aimed straight at the white haired agent.

"Son of a bitch! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Atemu snarled at his prank playing cousin, pulling his trembling lover into a tender embrace before releasing the trigger on the gun and tucking it back in its previous position.

Bakura smirked evilly. "Sorry about that. Everyone else is upstairs sleeping; it was my turn to watch. I didn't know who was pulling up…I couldn't sense anything, and I wasn't taking any chances either. By the way, where's that two seater penis you usually drive?"

After taking the time to make sure that Yugi didn't expire from the fright that the white haired agent had given them, Atemu glared at his cousin, his nose in the air. "Christ Bakura, you scared the shit out of us! And my car is not a phallic symbol of any sort! You're just pissed off that you didn't get one."

Bakura snorted as the group made their way into the house. "Am not!"

"You keep telling yourself that O Jealous One. Maybe someday it will be true." Atemu smirked, returning the favor that Bakura had just done him – knowing full well how much the white haired agent envied him for his car. "Oh, while I'm thinking of it, where the hell did you learn to do that?"

Bakura blinked innocently back at his smaller cousin, the look not quite suiting his harsh features. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Atemu just rolled his eyes as he turned back towards the house. His cousin was a trip. It was good to be back among family. Hopefully everyone had made it safely, and they could sit down and figure out what to do about their '_little'_ problem.

The group made their way into the kitchen of the old house, which, amazingly enough, was warm and inviting. A quick look around told Yugi that although the outside of the dwelling gave the appearance of being broken down and neglected, that wasn't totally the case, at least from what he could see of the inside.

The old kitchen was worn and welcoming with its peeling antique wall paper, the painted cupboards flaking in spots. And from his place by the door Yugi could see an antique wood stove that sat in the corner of the living room. It was almost glowing with warmth - a small pan of water boiling cheerily on the top of it to help with the dryness. Other than that the small teen couldn't tell what the rest of the house looked like, and he wasn't about to venture any further without his guardian at his side.

He didn't get much more of a chance to look around as his attention was soon taken with the smell that was wafting from the corner of the room. Sitting on top of the ancient stove was a pot of something that was giving off the most delicious aroma. The small teen almost started drooling; suddenly remembering that he hadn't eaten in almost twenty four hours. His stomach gurgled a protest at the neglect, his face turning a mottled red at the loud noise.

Atemu smirked at his little one, hearing the sound, as he flopped down into one of the thickly padded benches at the long, roughly carved table, pulling out both sides so his starving lover could take a seat next to him. Bakura laughed outright as he turned to the pot that was on the stove, pulling two more dishes out of the well-worn cupboard to set beside the one that was already on the chipped counter. Yugi took a seat beside his scarlet eyed lover, scanning the large kitchen.

The white haired agent sauntered over to the table, both bowls brimming with the luscious smelling stew. Setting one in front of Yugi and another in front of Atemu, he walked back for the third bowl. "I was making dinner when I heard the car door. So I hid around the back of the house until I could make sure that it wasn't anyone that didn't need to be finding this place."

"And you just decided to scare the hell out of us when you saw that it was us and not someone else?" Atemu arched a brow at Bakura when he came back to the table. Seeing the shit eating grin that was forming on the white haired agent's face, he started to reprimand the man. "You should be…"

"Chill cousin." Bakura said, biting back laughter. "Apparently the two of you are good enough at masking your thoughts. I didn't even know it was you until you were at the door. You - I would love to scare the hell out of. Him…" He jerked a thumb at Yugi, who in turn gave the agent a glare of his own from beneath the blonde hair that was hiding his face. "I would do no such thing to. Speaking of…so you're the cause of this shit storm we're currently caught in the middle of..."

His words caused the petite teen to gasp in outrage, and the boy's guardian to tsk.

"Ignore him little one. He's always been like this." Atemu laid a warm hand over Yugi's, squeezing lightly. The exhausted teen glanced up at his lover, flashing a tired smile.

Bakura ignored the comment as he gave the petite teenager the once over, mentally comparing him to a younger Atemu. In an aggrieved voice he commented. "Damn…and I thought Shadi was joking. I don't need this shit!"

Atemu chose not to comment on Bakura's remark, knowing that the white haired agent would tell him when he was ready. Quietly they began to eat, each lost in their own thoughts for the moment. There was so much that needed to be said, so much they needed to learn from each other. But neither Atemu nor Yugi were mentally up to processing any information of importance.

"So what happened?" Atemu questioned after a lengthy silence.

"I woke up to Ryou screaming his fool head off…" Bakura began to recount the events from the night before.

The two agents' continued their discussion, leaving Yugi to quietly eat his stew. The teen's attention wandered around the kitchen, his wide eyes lighting on anything of interest. This house was even bigger than he had thought from the outside. And even though it was showing its age, it seemed to have weathered the time well, with only the occasional cracks in the plaster on the ceiling and slight chipping of the floor tile. The small teen yawned widely; setting his spoon down, his stomach finally satisfied enough for other needs that still had to be met.

"Have you heard from Malik or Marik yet?" Atemu questioned his cousin.

"No and I haven't…" Bakura started.

"I thought I smelled food." Another voice came from the living room, cutting off the white haired agent's comment. Bakura shook his head; he was hoping that the irritating teen would've remained sleeping.

Yugi perked up quickly. He had been really close to falling asleep over his food. He was up and off the bench so fast that he almost tripped over it in his haste, heading towards the living room. "Jou?"

Said blonde walked into the kitchen, his jaw dropping at the sight of his small friend. "Yug! Oh god Yug!" He broke into a run, picking up the smaller teen the moment he was within range, to swing him around. "Oh god Yugi! I thought I'd never see you again!"

Tears of joy appeared in the smaller teen's eyes as he held tightly to his friend. "I missed you so much! I thought you were dead too! A-and then…oh god! I'm so glad you're alive!"

Dropping to the floor, both teens promptly burst into tears, clinging to each other as they grieved for their lost friends and family. Bakura looked almost disturbed at the sight, preferring to make his way out of the kitchen for fear of shedding a tear of his own at the reunion. It was time to wake the others.

After giving the two friends a moment to themselves, Atemu spoke up softly. "As much as I love seeing reunions like this, I think Yugi needs some sleep. The two of you can catch up after he's rested."

That was if they didn't need to run before then. Damn, they needed more information on this cult that was chasing them! As it was, they knew absolutely nothing. Atemu ran over their options in his mind. They needed some way to find out what this group's next move was, before they found themselves caught up in it. But it was so hard to even think; he was so drained.

Jou looked up at the comment and found himself staring up at an older, more exotic version of his little friend. Jaw still hanging open in shock, he picked himself up off the ground to stutter "I-I…huh? I always thought you'd be taller than that."

Atemu stiffened at the comment, ruby eyes flashing as he regarded his lover's friend. What the hell was this all about? Did the boy not think he was good enough for his friend? A dark eyebrow rose in inquiry as he stared down the taller youth.

"I mean who'd 'av thought that superman was so short? I was kinda expectin' ten foot tall and bullet proof!" The blonde continued, not noticing the death look that the tricolor haired agent was currently giving him.

Atemu looked up at the blonde, shock written all over his face.

"Jou!" Yugi whined as he hid his head in his hands. Leave it to Jou to come up with an outrageous comment like that. Brushing the tears from his face, the small teen gave a chuckle.

Slightly hysterical laughter sounded from the living room, letting the three of them know that they were not alone; as Seto and Bakura laughed themselves to tears over the remark. There was no way they were going to let their little cousin ever live this down!

Atemu crossed his arms over his chest as he regarded his family members with a dark glare. "Fuck you both…and the horses you rode in on!"

Jou turned to look at Yugi, who was, by now, laughing just as hard as the rest of them. He didn't think he had said anything that funny. After all, Atemu's name was all he heard out of Yugi's mouth since the small teen had first come in contact with him. And with all the man could supposedly do, it was a fair enough assumption. "Wha'd I say?"

The small amethyst eyed teen just shook his head. He was so happy to have his best friend back, even if he was embarrassing to be around. He happily wrapped his arms around the blonde as he laughed at the affronted look on his lover's regal face.

Finally Atemu gave a small chuckle, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at the group. The scarlet eyed agent knew that although the group was laughing at his expense, it was more that they needed to blow off steam than anything else, so he didn't take it to heart. "I don't think I would look all that good in tights. They just don't do my gorgeous body justice."

Yugi snorted, the noise causing the group yet another round of laughter. After a long period of time where any small thing would set the group to laughing again, they each calmed down, wondering what they had found so funny in the first place - much the same way a person who is placed under so much stress laughs at absolutely nothing and then finds himself the center of attention. The small teen wiped tears of hilarity from his eyes as he gazed around at the group of people clustered in the kitchen, and then turned his gaze to his lover.

Giving Yugi a meaningful glance, Atemu nodded towards the stairs in the corner of the living room. It was past time for them to rest. Especially if they wanted to try to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. It was safe here, for now. The others would watch over them while they slept.

Yugi nodded happily, just relieved that Jou was okay. The small teen grabbed Atemu's hand as he bid goodnight to the group that had gathered, and pulled the agent up the noisy, sloping stairs for some much needed rest. Once on the second floor, they wandered the long, uneven corridor, searching for a room that wasn't already occupied. It took them a few moments, for most of the rooms already spoken for – clothing scattered over floors and unmade beds telling signs of their ownership. Eventually, at the end of the carpeted hall, they found what they were searching for - a room all to themselves.

The room was spacious, filled with antiques and decorated in faded earth tones, looking like the owner of the house was just out for a walk and due back at any minute, but the already made bed was the only thing on the duo's minds. Yugi walked over to investigate the view from one of the tall windows as he readied himself for bed.

He could just barely make out the shape of the Blazer hidden in the concealing weeds from where he was standing. If nothing else, the windows offered a clear view of the surrounding area, making a surprise attack all but impossible. But that was only if someone were to stand watch constantly.

"How long till they find us?" Yugi asked in a small voice as Atemu shut the door.

"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how they knew where we were, and how they found out about Bakura." Atemu answered as he snuggled up next to the teen.

Atemu had caught a glimpse of the small white haired teen curled up on the couch when they passed the living room. Now he understood Bakura's earlier comment. And he couldn't have agreed more. None of them needed this shit. But now was not the time to dwell on all the questions that he had. His body desperately needed sleep. There would be time enough to jot down his questions, and think about possible answers when he was more alert. He hoped.

Once in bed, they both dropped off into a deep sleep, their bodies all but drained from their hellish experience the night before.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	13. Chapter 13

A note for this one too: Chapters will be every other week for the moment due to political upheaval in my lovely state of MI. Shit's goin down and I'm gonna help it. :) For now, enjoy.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"What the hell?" Atemu was startled into wakefulness by all the commotion from the floor below.

The agent jumped out of bed, snatching his gun off the table beside their bed and sneaking towards the door, fully intending on doing someone bodily harm. He had been hoping for more time to figure out their next move, but as he heard another pained shout come from down the stairs, he didn't think they were going to be granted a reprieve. It was time to face this head on, and hope that everything would be okay in the end. Why didn't anyone warn him?

With a warning glance back at his frightened lover, he whispered "get under the bed and wait for me, I'm gonna find out what's going on."

Yugi nodded shakily and dropped out of sight, sliding up under the heavy bed.

Once he was certain that the small teen was well hidden, Atemu cautiously opened the door, glancing in both directions to see that the hallway was clear. He edged his way down the stairs towards the living room, where noises had come from. A white haired blur streaked past him, headed towards one of the empty rooms on the upper floor. Atemu ignored the frightened teen, his attention drawn to the scene unfolding below. It was not quite what he was expecting.

"God damn it! I told you I was fine! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Marik snarled, raising his fists threateningly at the group that had surrounded him.

"You are not fine! You're still bleeding! Jesus H. Christ you're a stubborn son of a bitch!" Bakura snarled back at the taller blonde.

Seto circled the blonde from one side, drawing his attention from Bakura for a moment, as Malik and Isis snuck up on the tall blonde from behind. It was all over in a second, as the white haired agent drew back his fist. And punched the man square in the jaw, dropping him to the ground. The group quickly fell onto the unconscious man, each securing a limb to drag him to the one unoccupied couch.

'Marik? Malik? When the hell did they get here?' Atemu thought, watching the fight in progress from his vantage point on the stairs, absentmindedly tucking his gun back into his jeans so he could greet the newcomers. As soon as the group dragged the unconscious Marik away from the center of the room, the ruby eyed agent spied the motionless body that had been left on the couch in the corner.

"Shadi!" He yelled as he tripped the rest of the way down the stairs in his haste to make it over to the couch where his adoptive father lay

Atemu raced across the expanse of the living room, dropping to his knees in front of the pale, almost lifeless man. Shakily, he reached out to touch the man he'd come to think of as a father, tears leaking from his eyes. The man was so still, so cold. Just like his birth parents when he saw them in their caskets. Why did this always happen to the people he cared about? His sister, his parents…was this to be the fate of Marik? Of his Aibou? Would he be able to stop it? What if he couldn't? He couldn't help Shadi…Why?

"He's not dead. At least not yet." Malik sighed, making his way from his unconscious lover to catch hold of Atemu who was shaking in his rage, his fists clenched tightly as blue veins stood out prominently in his arms. Dark shadows were beginning to slither across the floor, searching for their intended target as they slowly sucked the light out of the room.

"Malik!" Isis reprimanded, turning to give her youngest brother a tearful glare.

"Well, it's true sis. I did the best I could, but he's lost so much blood!" Malik defended himself with a sob. "I don't want to lose him either, but he's so weak right now, I don't know if he'll recover."

"He'll recover!" Isis stated, making her way across the room. "Right now I need you to help your other half before he loses any more blood! Atemu! Stop it! He'll recover!"

The lady made her way over to where Malik was struggling to restrain his smaller nephew, not having much success. She tipped Atemu's head up to meet her eyes, eerily blank ruby clashing with brown velvet for an instant before Atemu jerked his head away, his chest heaving, lost in his memories. "He will make it Atemu…come back to us little flame. It will be okay."

Little flame, it was a nickname she had given to a defiant twelve year old Atemu when he first entered their family. It fit him in so many ways, his looks, his rebellious attitude, and his unusual gifts. And right now, if she couldn't get him to calm down, someone was going to get hurt.

Isis skimmed her hands down the younger agent's face, trying to soothe him with her touch. Sometimes this was all she could do to calm her youngest son down, he would get so worked up that he didn't even realize what he was doing. It had been this way ever since they rescued him from foster care many years ago.

Something awful must have happened in his past to make him withdraw from reality when he was faced with any type of tragedy, but what the brunette had no idea. Atemu had remained decidedly closed mouthed about his time in foster care. And even his records made no mention of any incident that could have caused his hair trigger temper to flare up dangerously whenever someone close to him was in peril – only that he was transferred from one place to the next every couple of months.

Isis had hoped that time alone with his light might help with his temper, and it had – a little. The last time this happened, there had been people injured within the first couple of moments of his loss of control. Maybe this time they could avert the disaster completely. But they needed him back in the present, and right now he was resisting all of her efforts to bring him out of his memories.

Seto was standing in the corner of the room, watching the scene unfold with wide blue eyes, his breath caught in his throat. The shadows were sucking the light out of the room, taking on a physical presence, and they seemed to be coming from Atemu. Never before had he seen anything like this. Shaking his head wildly, the tall brunette backed cautiously out of the room. The only thing that stopped his departure was Jou, as the blonde came in from the kitchen after ditching the Blazer behind the barn like Bakura had told him to do earlier.

"What the hell?" Jou's eyes went wide as he noticed the creeping shadows that were forming on the floor. It seemed as though the darkness in the room was beginning to take form, take shape around the person kneeling by the couch. The blonde couldn't even make out who it was on the floor, they were enveloped in such blackness, as it was Isis's form was barely visible through the inky gloom.

"I-I don't know…" Seto replied, not taking his eyes off the threatening phenomenon.

For once, the blue eyed agent was almost shocked speechless, his brain on overload. For all that he had heard about his cousin's unusual abilities, this was the first time he had ever seen them. And he was frightened for his life. He grabbed a hold of Jou and began to push him out of the room, not wanting the teen he had a crush on to get caught up in this nightmare of darkness.

"Hey! Knock it off! My friend's in there!" Jou pushed back against his protector, intent on making it into the room to help the person caught in the shadows.

"Both of you hush!" Isis spared a glare at the duo, stopping them in their tracks, before turning her attention back to Atemu. "It is okay little flame. He's not going to die. Come out of the past…come back to us. We're waiting for you." She repeated soothingly, running her hand over his arm, hoping that the soft words and gentle touch could bring him back from his past.

Yugi had had enough. No one had even noticed him when he peeked down the stairs to see what was going on. The small teen had heard Atemu's anguished cry, and he knew that he couldn't just hide under the bed like a coward, leaving his lover alone to face down their enemies. So he grabbed what was available – an antique lamp that was sitting on the bedside table – and hurried down the hall to his lover's aid.

The first thing he noticed as he peeked around the banister was the amount of people in the living room. The next thing he noticed was the shadows deepening. Watching as everyone in the room froze when they saw the shadows extending, lengthening, threatening to suck all the light out of the room, he decided that it was time to end this before someone got hurt.

"Atemu stop!" Yugi yelled, dropping the lamp as he ran down the stairs and straight into his lover's arms, wrapping the man in his embrace. His lover felt cold, the normally soft skin clammy. Was this another one of his gifts? And if so what could it do?

'_Someone do something! I can't save them…please don't let them die'_

Yugi heard his lover's anguished thought the instant before a brilliant white light lit up the room…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Is he the last one Bakura?" Isis questioned her nephew as she tucked the last of the blankets around Atemu's unnaturally cold body. The young agent immediately curled around his lighter half, seeking warmth.

After making sure that he was sufficiently covered, Isis hurried over to where the white haired agent was settling his younger look alike down on one of the mattresses they had just moved in from another room. She watched the expression on her nephew's face as he gently tucked the boy under the covers, wondering how far their relationship had progressed.

From Bakura's devastated look, it seemed to have come pretty far. The very thought of her callous, often outspoken nephew finding his soul mate brought a tiny smile to her features before she turned back to the task at hand.

The second the blinding light dissipated Isis realize that she and Bakura were the only people left standing in the room - and barely at that. She took a count of how many people were wiped out by the amount of raw energy that the small boy who resembled her youngest son sapped from them. The expense was great, but what had been given in return was well worth the price, she soon came to discover. Thanks to Atemu's little light Shadi was no longer hovering at the brink of death.

It had quickly been decided to throw four of the mattresses into one room. That would make it easier on the two of them, since they were rather exhausted as well, having not been left unaffected by the transfer themselves. As it was, there were four people unconscious and two drained to the point of confusion, leaving it up to her and Bakura to care for those who were most affected by the energy shift, on top of the two men who were injured in the gun fight from the night before.

They worked quickly and efficiently to gather blankets and pillows, pairing the victims up on mattresses in an attempt to create heat between their bodies before any of them developed hypothermia. Their skin was extraordinarily cold and clammy, as if all the warmth had been stripped from their bodies. Even Jou and Seto, who had remained awake long enough to somewhat assist Isis in getting them up the stairs, were shivering and chilled. It wasn't too long after she tucked them underneath a sea of blankets that they too passed out.

After three trips each, Isis and Bakura had managed to move most of the group upstairs and into the bedroom. All that remained was to carry Shadi and Marik, and that was not a task that Isis was looking forward to. They were by far the heaviest, and neither she nor Bakura had much energy left.

"Yeah, that's it…just what the hell can this kid do?" The white haired agent glanced down at the tricolor haired look alikes that appeared to be sleeping peacefully, curled up in each other's arms.

"That _kid_ has many differing abilities, but he can't do it alone. He needs a platform from which to amplify his powers. Shadi will explain everything when he is feeling well enough to sit up." Isis gave the group the once over as she talked to her nephew, before heading out of the room – going after the two injured men left downstairs.

"You mean he's not awake already?" Bakura asked his aunt, incredulously. "I thought they were healed."

Isis shook her head, glancing back towards the man as they headed down the stairs. "No. Not directly. All the child did was give them the energy he drained from himself and the others. It will keep them alive and lessen the chance for infection. They still need to rest and finish healing."

When they made it over to Shadi, Isis glanced down at her husband. His breathing was no longer shallow and erratic, and the dark, even coloring was returning to his excessively pale face. He was beginning to look a whole lot better, healthier. She ran her hand over that beloved face, memorizing the harsh, weathered features before reaching down to take a hold of his warm hand, grateful for the slight heat that was radiating from what was once too cold skin.

"Shadi" She murmured softly with a smile. Thank the gods for Atemu's lighter half. If the boy wouldn't have given Shadi what he had – even inadvertently – he would have surely died. Briefly, the brunette glanced over at her brother's lover, pleased to note that he was also resting comfortably, his wound not as grievous it had appeared earlier.

"Come on; let's get him upstairs with the rest of them." Bakura reached down to take a hold of the unconscious man's legs. It would take both of them to pick him up; Shadi was rather heavy as dead weight.

"Right" Isis grabbed her husband by the arms, mindful of the bullet wound in his shoulder and the one in his side.

She didn't want to reopen Malik's exceptional needle work. Her young brother had done a fine job with what he had to work with. They were all extremely lucky that the boy she once considered a lost cause had learned how to thread a needle during his short stint at juvenile boot camp. It had been an extremely hard decision to send him at that time. But one that she was thankful that she had made. In more ways than she could count.

Together, the two of them carried the unconscious man upstairs as carefully as they could. Once they reached the room, they were both out of breath from the exertion. After depositing their burden on the last empty mattress, Bakura slumped down next to the bed, breathing hard.

"Damn…(huff)man we're…gonna…have to wait a…minute before…Marik."

Isis leaned heavily against the wall, closing her eyes. "I…agree…he's even heavier…than I thought."

Bakura grinned up at his aunt. "Yeah…and Marik outweighs him…by at least thirty pounds."

Isis groaned, before laughing giddily, covering her mouth with her hand. Soon Bakura joined in. Both of them were entirely too happy to have everyone safe and sound. At least for a little while. When the rest of the group woke up would be a good time to try and sort this mess out. But until then, it was good to be able to laugh with such a serious cloud hanging over their heads.

"How long do you think they'll be out?"

Isis tipped her head to the side as she thought on the question. "Until tomorrow at the very least. The boy had to have transferred an enormous amount of their energy into Shadi and Marik in order to have the effect that it did."

The white haired man grunted at her comment as he dragged himself up off the floor. It was time to retrieve their last '_patient_'. Isis followed him down the stairs. When they made it to the living room, the two of them took a long glance at the person that they would have to carry back upstairs. Marik had packed on quite a bit of muscle in the past couple of years, his black tee-shirt straining against the pressure of containing his rather well formed chest and arms.

"Gods he's a moose!" Bakura commented in admiration.

He could hardly believe that he had laid the man out with one punch earlier. Marik outweighed him by a good fifty pounds. And the white haired agent was truly glad that it had not come to an all-out fight between them, as he wouldn't have stood a chance.

Isis agreed with her nephew. "That he is. Well, here goes nothing."

She made her way to his shoulders grabbing them to test her strength against Marik's weight. Bakura took the larger man's feet. Together they hefted him off the couch, bobbling a couple of times before finding purchase.

"Okay…I just busted a nut…" Bakura groused painfully, almost causing his aunt to drop the man as she laughed at his plight.

It was a struggle, but after a few attempts, the two of them finally managed to make it up the stairs and into the bedroom. Getting Marik onto the bed proved to be a challenge though.

Bakura started swinging the unconscious man. "When I say three…we lift him over the side. One…two…three!"

For a second, he feared they weren't going to make it, but the swinging motion gained them just enough leverage to haul Marik's bulky weight up and onto the mattress. Once there, the heavy blonde was pulled into a sleepy embrace by his lighter half.

"I'm going to put a couple of stitches into that wound."

"I'll be here if he wakes up swinging, but I don't know if I'll be able to help much." Bakura said truthfully as he sat down on the bed to watch over his aunt while she worked.

A couple of minutes later and Isis cut the piece of thread she used to stitch the man up. Marik hadn't even flinched. She looked up at Bakura and nodded before drawing the blankets over the sleeping pair. They had done everything they could, it was time to rest. The white haired agent crawled up on the bed containing his lighter half, pulling the shivering boy into his embrace.

"Get some sleep Isis. If by some miracle of hell they manage to find this place, I'll know the minute they get within a five mile radius."

Feeling slightly reassured, the exhausted brunette crawled into bed with her husband and wrapped her arms around him, dropping off into sleep within minutes.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	14. Chapter 14

A note for this one too: Chapters will be every other week for the moment due to political upheaval in my lovely state of MI. Shit's goin down and I'm gonna help it. :) For now, enjoy.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Ow…ow…ow" Yugi sluggishly pulled his hands over his face as he groaned, attempting to open his eyes. The brilliant light from the open curtain was giving him even more of a headache than he already had. Then just as suddenly, the blinding light was gone.

"How are you feeling young one?" A feminine voice came from the other side of the room, where Isis closed the curtains.

Yugi turned towards the sound of the pleasant feminine voice, only to realize that even the tiniest movement sent violent pain shooting through his head. "Hurts…what happened…all I remember is a bright light…"

"You were the cause of the light young one." Isis made her way over to the boy, fervently wishing there were something she could do to ease his pain. "And for that I thank you. But for now…you need to rest." Resting her fingertips on the sides of his face, she began to massage his temples, watching as his eyes fluttered once before closing completely.

Yugi hovered on the edge of oblivion for a moment, hazily pondering the woman's enigmatic comment, before the nagging thought that had caused him to wake in the first place pulled him back to awareness. "Atemu!" The small teen bolted up with a cry, instantly regretting the action.

Isis pushed him firmly back down against the bed. "He's right beside you little one. He's okay, he's resting. Lay back down and rest…you are going to need your strength."

The boy resisted for a moment, before realizing that she spoke the truth. Then, with a content sigh, he curled up against his unconscious look alike. Isis crept back to the other side of the room to settle back onto the bed. That boy was the last one she expected to wake up. Since he was the cause of the energy transfer, it stood to reason that he would be the most drained by it.

Isis turned to Shadi, wanting to cuddle with him for a few more minutes, to find expectant blue eyes staring up at her. She almost couldn't believe it. "Shadi?" She questioned tearfully.

"Hello pretty lady…how are you feeling?"

The blue eyed Egyptian found himself with an arm full of his wife as she sobbed her troubles out against his shirt. He held her tight as he listened to her account of the past two days, his fists tightening in her clothes as she explained the group's reaction to knowing that he was going to die. And then he listened to her as she recounted how Atemu's small look alike saved him and helped Marik. When she was finished an hour later, his shirt was wet from her tears, and a complacent smile was forming on his features. It was nice to know how much the others cared for him.

"Hush now…I'm here. Everything is going to be fine." He soothed his wife quietly. "God I love you Isis."

"Oh Shadi…I was so worried…it all looked so hopeless." Isis memorized the man's face with her hands, willing herself to believe that he was really here, that he was the one holding her so tenderly. "I love you too…"

The two shared a gentle kiss in the silence, unwilling to let go for even a second. The moment didn't last for long, however, and soon various moans and groans were heard from all corners of the packed room. The couple gazed at each other fondly as they resigned themselves to the fact that the rest of the day would be nothing but pure chaos.

Once the whole group was finally awake and coherent, Isis began directing their movements. She managed to get everyone fed, showered and dressed in a reasonable amount of time. The only way she kept their collective cooperation was to withhold answers to all of their questions on the grounds that they needed food first in order to regain their strength…and that there were about four people who really needed to wash the stench from their bodies – she couldn't concentrate with the smell of sex overpowering her senses.

The group took her comments laughingly as they scattered after breakfast to find the showers, allowing her to help Shadi down the stairs and onto the couch. She could tell his wounds still pained him, but he was alert and at least halfway mobile. The rest would heal in time.

Even Marik's wounds seemed to have healed a bit – if that could be judged by the way he limped quickly down the hall, chasing after his boyfriend when Malik pinched him in retaliation for some whispered comment. With those two back to normal, and her youngest son and nephew finding their soul mates, Isis knew the next couple of days would be interesting.

Now if only she could knock some sense into the two people who were still fighting their attraction towards each other. It figured that her eldest son would fight the inevitable. And it looked like the boy he had chosen was fighting just as hard, if their snippy comments this morning were anything to go by. The pair started arguing from the moment they woke up, and hadn't quit since. It seemed that neither of them held well to the idea of waking up in bed together.

The brunette put her hands to her head, in an attempt to soothe the oncoming headache. If those two didn't figure it out soon, their whole group would be at a disadvantage. Even if the two boys weren't like the others, they were still an important part of this fight. Now how to tell them that without offending one or the other of them?

"Isis, are you alright?" Atemu's deep voice startled the woman.

With a smile, Isis stood up and reached out to brush a lock of wayward hair out of his face. "I'm fine…and you?"

The young agent shrugged nonchalantly. "A little tired, but other than that…"

With a wistful smile, she whispered "My little flame" Loving it when his face reddened at the nickname. "Where's the young one?"

"He's finishing up. He's become a little shy around me lately." He grinned.

Yugi had kicked the agent out of the bathroom as soon as he was finished with his shower, stating his need for privacy, his face the shade of a ripe tomato. To Atemu it was adorable how the teen blushed brightly and began to stutter when confronted with nudity – either his or Atemu's. The small teen was beginning to act like he had before the two of them had started making out all those many weeks ago. And the agent had to wonder on the personality change.

"…?"

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Atemu snapped back to his and Isis' conversation.

"Isis was wondering if his character has reverted to who he was originally…before the two of you…found each other interesting." Shadi piped in from his place on the couch.

"Well, now that you mention it, yes…that's exactly it. What's that all about?"

The question was left unanswered as what sounded like a herd of elephants descended the stairs at a high rate of speed. Jou skidded to a stop at bottom of the stairs only long enough to take a quick glance back up, before attempting to escape into the kitchen, Seto right on his heels. Bakura, Malik and Marik followed the duo, laughing wildly at their behavior.

"What, in the name of all that's holy, is going on?" Isis nearly screeched, her voice bringing the group's attention back to her.

Jou tripped over his feet at her voice, and since Seto hadn't been given a chance to stop – he tripped over Jou, both of them landing in a heap on the floor, where they immediately started wrestling against each other. The rest of the group broke out into raucous laughter at their antics. Shadi gave into a pained chuckle, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Even Atemu cracked a smile. Isis, on the other hand, glared death at the pair rolling around on the floor like a couple of kids.

Having lost what little patience she had left, Isis stormed over to the group, and before any of them could utter a word – promptly smacked both Seto and Jou upside the back of their heads, ceasing their movements. Seto gave a harsh glare in her direction as he brought a hand up to his head. Jou just looked up at her with his jaw dragging on the ground, not daring to comment. Her warning glare wiped the smiles off the other offenders' faces rather quickly, as they knew well what she was like when she was in this mood.

"I have had just about enough of this. You two had better figure out where your problems lie. If you would please stop behaving like a pair of juveniles and take your seats, we will attempt to find a way to stay alive…unless you have a death wish. Then by all means…continue." Turning her attention to Atemu, she asked "If you will retrieve your little one…"

Atemu inclined his head, having no wish for her to focus her wrath on him this time. "Of course."

As the tricolor haired agent made his way up to the second floor he clearly heard Jou's loud protest as to who had started their fight. He barely made out his adopted mother's hissed reply, which had something to do with 'crush' and 'denial'. A smile made its self known on his face as he realized that his cousin had definitely met his match in the defiant teen.

Walking past the first room, on his way to his and Yugi's designated bathroom, he almost missed the familiar figure sitting on one of the mattresses, along with another slight figure that was curled into a ball. Only a glimpse of that well recognizable hair stopped him from continuing. He backtracked to the door just in time to overhear part of the conversation.

"…It's okay to be afraid. Everyone is scared at some point. But you can't let it control you. You're stronger than you know, or you wouldn't be here today."

Atemu's heart swelled with pride. With everything that the boy had been through, he still had enough heart to know when someone else was hurt. And he still tried to help. The young agent almost felt guilty about breaking up a conversation that would only be beneficial to the slender, white haired teen, but they really had pressing matters that needed to be seen to.

"Aibou…" He said hesitantly, his guilt tripling as he watched the white haired boy flinch as if assaulted.

Yugi turned to look, a smile gracing his features as he spied his lover's form in the doorway. "Atemu…I was just talking to Ryou."

"We're needed downstairs, Ryou included."

"Are you up to it Ryou? Bakura's down there…right Atemu?"

"That he is; why don't we join him and the others?" The ruby eyed agent gestured for the two teens to follow him.

Yugi got up off the bed and held a hand out to his new friend. He had heard so much about the shy, quiet teen from Jou. And when he walked past the room earlier, he heard the other teen's soft, distressed sobs. He couldn't just walk away. So he tried to make simple conversation with the terrified boy. And terrified he was, the moment Yugi walked into the room, Ryou's memories of his not so distant past assaulted his brain, telling Yugi exactly why the other teen was so afraid of people.

His desire to help the other increased ten fold. After his initial overture was rejected, Yugi began to talk about his own life, and problems, delighting when Ryou started to respond. At first it was just a look, and every once in a while a small comment. Soon the small tricolor haired teen was able to coax part of Ryou's own tragic story out of the shaking teen. They were in the middle of talking about fear when Atemu made his entrance, pushing the teen who was starting to open up right back into his shell. As much as Yugi loved Atemu, he really wished the man had better timing.

'Oh well…too late for that.' The small teen thought to himself.

'I heard that little one, and it's time to go, the others will not wait much longer.' Atemu smirked back at the boy, reminding him of their mental link.

Blushing brightly, Yugi grasped the hand that Ryou held out, gently pulling the other teen off the bed and out of the room. When they made it down to the living room, it was to find that the rest of the group was currently in the middle of a loud discussion concerning Jou and Seto's relationship, or lack thereof.

They stood off to the side, not really wishing to get caught up in the barrage of insults that not only Seto and Jou were slinging, but Bakura and Malik as well. It seemed that not only had Jou won over the prank pulling white haired agent, but the man's younger uncle as well. If the obnoxious comments they were making towards Seto were any indication.

"If you didn't have such an ego problem…" Bakura snapped at the icy brunette.

"Amen…" Malik jumped in.

"…Mind your own fucking business!" Seto snapped back, feeling cornered. Everyone was against him. It was bad enough to know that Jou hated him, that everyone else did as well just made it all the worse.

"Boys! This is not 'let's point out Seto's flaws'! Give it a rest!" Isis shouted as she spied the threesome standing by the foot of the stairs. Everyone had been so caught up in Seto and Jou's problems that they failed to notice that the rest of their family had made it back into the room. The instant she raised her voice, everyone in the room quieted.

"Is everyone present?" Shadi asked from his seat on the couch.

"I believe we are all here…physically. I truly doubt that you will have everyone's mental presence though." Atemu gave Seto a deep glare, thoroughly incensed at his cousin's rough treatment of Yugi's blonde friend. Never had he seen his older cousin get this worked up over another person's presence.

The pissed off brunette glared back, folding his arms over his chest defensively. He had to figure that his younger cousin would side with the rest of them. Fortunately, they didn't have the chance to voice their comments.

"If you three will be seated…we will begin." Isis indicated the many chairs situated around the large room.

When the tricolor haired doubles moved away from the stairs, Shadi's eyes widened as he caught sight of the boy that Bakura had saved from the slavers over six months ago. How had he missed that? No one had even caught a glimpse of the boy before his nephew had whisked him into hiding. The first thought that popped into his mind was that this couldn't be happening. He glanced over to Marik and Malik sitting on the couch, before his gaze touched Atemu and his little one, finally returning to Bakura's smaller look alike, his mind reeling.

Atemu glanced over the chairs which were situated at the corners of the room and then walked over to the middle of the floor in front of his adopted father and sat down, pulling Yugi down onto his lap. Ryou, left on his own by the stairway, looked around timidly until Bakura took pity on him and walked over and pulled him back to the couch where they sat side by side with Malik and Marik.

"Holy hell…" Shadi breathed in awe. He had all three sets right here in the room. The only three left from that terrifying time three thousand years ago. Would he be able to save them all?

Once everyone was comfortable, Isis turned her attention to Shadi. While everyone was busy getting ready for the day, she had brought her husband up to date on what had happened since she found him lying in a pool of blood two days ago. He caught her glance and nodded.

Clearing his throat, the elder agent began their long awaited discussion. "I believe that you all have questions concerning the events that have come to pass in the last three months."

All heads nodded, but no one spoke.

"But before I get into that…Bakura, the old Henderson place? I have to commend you for that thought."

Bakura grinned widely up at his uncle. "They'll have to do a lot of digging to come up with anything to tie us to this place."

When the white haired agent was still a teen, he had become extremely close to a childless elderly couple. How, he never said. But when the couple had died seven years later, they named him as their only heir. The privilege didn't entail much but a broken down farm and a couple thousand dollars. But to Bakura, whose parents were even now unwilling to acknowledge his existence – it was one more piece of evidence that he wasn't that worthless.

That feeling of uselessness had remained with him despite all of Shadi and Isis' assurances that he was anything but. To have not only one, but two couples that he had admired in his youth acknowledge him, it gave him the confidence that he started lacking when his parents finally told him that he was no longer a part of their family. He wrapped his arms around Ryou and silently urged his uncle to explain their unusual situation.

Yugi timidly raised his hand, catching Shadi's attention immediately. "Yes little one, what is it you want to know?"

Blushing at being the center of attention, the small teen managed to stutter "I-I w…want to kn-know what ha-happened yesterday."

"I will get to that one, but I would like to explain how something like that could occur in the first place." Shadi began. "Is that alright with everyone?"

The group nodded as one, all eyes centered on the elder agent as he began talking again.

"I know that the past three months…at least; have been very, ah, confusing…for all of us. For me, the last piece of the puzzle just fell into place today. Atemu…you've read the information that I sent to you concerning your state…"

Atemu inclined his head. The others gave the tricolor haired agent questioning looks.

"Bakura, you have listened to me rant on the subject many times. As for the rest of you, I'm only going to give the basic information that we managed to find."

Shadi went through the explanations of half souls, light and darkness for the entire group. Atemu sat with Yugi in his lap, his attention centered more on his little love than what his adopted father was talking about. He had already heard this part. The young agent's head snapped up when he heard his name being called.

"…?"

"Sorry…I wasn't exactly paying attention." Atemu said sheepishly.

"That's what I thought." Shadi grinned at him. "You need to hear this. This is where the book is wrong; at least as far as the six of you are concerned. I don't think it made allowances for this unusual situation."

Taking a glance at each of them in turn, Shadi continued. "Bakura, Atemu, Marik the three of you are dark halves, each a part of a soul that was torn apart by unnatural and violent methods. Yugi, Ryou, Malik - you three are the light halves to the others darkness. Each and every one of you exhibits some special abilities. Some of you may have more than one…and you may even have them in common with one another…I don't know."

"Then why am I here? What do I have to do with this?" Jou spoke up from one of the chairs in the corner of the room.

"You are here as an unfortunate bystander…as you were the last time." Shadi pinned the boy with his unusual blue eyes, making him squirm in his seat.

It wasn't a glare, it was just a look, but nevertheless it was unnerving to Jou to be caught in those intense sky blue orbs. Not quite like Seto's sapphire gaze, but close. The blonde ducked his head, averting his eyes. "Oh"

"Now then…how you all came to be here as you are." Once again the elder agent glanced around the room to make sure he had everyone's complete attention, and then slowly he began his story.

"I have walked the earth for around three thousand years in many forms…each lifetime imprinted on my memories to be used in the next. It was the result of a spell that I was able cast right before my soul was torn in two – my light half stolen from me. I was one of the unlucky ones…as was Isis. You see, this is our punishment…for not being able to save our young Pharaoh, the rest of the priests, the light halves of our souls. We doomed ourselves to remember every failure…every disappointment, until we could redeem ourselves by saving those who were torn apart that ungodly night…with the help of a traitor…"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	15. Chapter 15

A note for this one too: Chapters will be every other week for the moment due to political upheaval in my lovely state of MI. Shit's goin down and I'm gonna help it. :) For now, enjoy.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"I have walked the earth for around three thousand years in many forms…each lifetime imprinted on my memories to be used in the next. It was the result of a spell that I was able cast right before my soul was torn in two – my light half stolen from me. I was one of the unlucky ones…as was Isis. You see, this is our punishment…for not being able to save our young Pharaoh, the rest of the priests, the light halves of our souls. We doomed ourselves to remember every failure…every disappointment, until we could redeem ourselves by saving those who were torn apart that ungodly night…with the help of a traitor…"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

_Flashback:_

"_Traitor!_ _You…son of a jackal! How could you? I could rip your beating heart from your body and throw you to the beasts of the Nile…!" Shadi snarled as he strained against the bonds that held him fixed to the large stone slab._

_The blue eyed priest couldn't believe that he had practically led his Pharaoh, his living god into this fix. All by trusting this…this traitor. Everything that had happened and would happen to their young sovereign, it was all on his head - his and the rest of the priesthood. They were the ones who fell right in with the traitor's plan, all but handing their young king over to the invaders on a silver platter._

"_I highly doubt it." Came the sardonic reply._

_Someone outside of Shadi's line of vision stuffed a piece of foul smelling cloth unceremoniously into his mouth, silencing him, as the traitor to the throne calmly walked over to where he was currently held immobile against the rough stone_

_The treasonous priest chuckled insanely. "You will not get the chance. By the time Ra is reborn, I will be the ruler of this land…and you shall be nothing but ashes. Your soul will not even find sanctuary in the afterlife."_

_Shadi glared ice at the taller man as he laughed, but his inability to move even the slightest bit made the look ineffective._

_Turning to face the rough group that had managed - in a sneaky, well planned maneuver - to overtake not only the entire priesthood, but the young Pharaoh and his elite guard, as well, Akunadin spoke, "Tonight victory is ours! We are Gods among men! Soon it will be time to feed the shadows, but for now – feast, celebrate our victory!"_

_Shadi's blood ran cold when he got his first good look at the invaders as they moved from out of the shadows. Celts! The beastly men from the cold north. He had heard tales of the fierce northerners with their pale white skin when he was a child, from the survivors of trading parties that had gotten lost. He lost all train of thought in his shock._

_The white heathens never ventured this far outside of their borders! In fact, they had never been seen out of their wintery region. What were they doing here, in Khemet? How had they gotten here? And more importantly…why?_

_The fifty or so men clustered inside the temple of Osiris raised their weapons and gave a loud roar of approval. Most of them turned to leave the room for the promised feast, their work finished for the moment. His speech ended, the traitorous priest made his way towards a small group of fully cloaked men who remained clustered off to the side of the room, unmoving._

"_All is set?" One of the men inquired._

"_Down to the last detail. They won't know what hit them." Akunadin replied with a chilly smile._

"_And the men?" Another asked._

_At this question, Akunadin deferred to one of the other cloaked men. The hooded man nodded back at him, unspeaking._

_Seeing he was still the spokesman, the priest rolled his eyes. "Neither will they…none of them are needed but for the first part of the ritual. We will sacrifice them, along with the guards. You had better hope that you gave the Pharaoh enough of the drug, he is more powerful than he looks. I would hate for this to fail."_

_One of the men snickered. "Didn't seem all that mighty to me."_

_The priest glared down his nose at the hooded man. "That is because I caught him…and the others unaware. I assure you it would not be that easy a second time. He is well versed in shadow magic. Do not take him lightly. Come; let us join the feast in the outer hall until it is time."_

_With that warning delivered, Akunadin ushered the group out of the chamber._

_Shadi waited until the men were out of sight before working the cloth out of his mouth with a dark glare of self-loathing. No one had suspected a thing. His fellow high priest was brilliant in his treachery. The visitors were supposed to have been just another group of emissaries from Rome, and neither he nor his subordinates had any idea that they were anything but. Right up until two of the Druid priests had inadvertently shown their faces in a meeting with the Pharaoh._

_And by that time it was too late, Akunadin moved swiftly, disabling everyone in the throne room with a powerful shadow spell that shook the palace walls and unseated many of the statues guarding the throne. A spell that no one even realized he knew._

_Looking carefully around the dim, torch lit chamber; the blue eyed priest noted that the prisoners were left without guard. Were they that confident that no one was going to escape? What were they planning? Normally when a coup was successful, the former regime was quickly killed off to prevent anarchy. What was the purpose of keeping them alive? It had something to do with the ritual that Akunadin was talking about, Shadi would have bet his life on it._

"_Pharaoh!" He hissed. "Pharaoh…wake up!"_

_After three unsuccessful attempts to rouse his unconscious ruler, the terrified priest realized it was no use. Whatever they had drugged the powerful god king with, it left him completely lifeless. Shadi was thankful for that at least - as the robed men had defiled the young sovereign not long after forcing him to ingest the concoction. He would have hated to see the terror in the young king's eyes as the group of robed men had their way with him, leaving him battered and bloody before lashing his arms and legs to a couple of posts and hoisting him off the ground._

_Right now Egypt's monarch was kept upright and standing only by the tautly stretched ropes that held him splayed between two poles, his magnificent, sun kissed body laid bare for all to see, royal clothing scattered about the floor, his crown nowhere in sight. It was as if they had put him on display at the front of the room for everyone to witness his degradation._

_Shadi was grateful that he had been the only one halfway conscious during the assault on his young king. No one needed to witness that. It was bad enough that he had seen it, and that Akunadin had turned a blind eye to the petite ruler's torment. The traitor priest needed to answer for his crimes!_

_Since he could get no answer out of his lifeless king, Shadi gave up and turned his gaze to his fellow priests. He could already tell there was no help to be had there. All the priests were tied down tightly to what amounted to strangely engraved stone altars set up facing each other in two precise rows._

_Isis – his lover and the mother of his unborn child, Seto, Mahaado, Mahaado's apprentice - Mana, Karim, Siamun, Marik, they were all out cold…wait, what were Siamun, Marik and Mana doing here? They weren't even part of the priesthood. In fact, Marik was a part of the guard. And what was left of the royal guard was staked out unceremoniously to the floor in between the altars and the Pharaoh, bloodied and beaten. Marik should have been with them._

_Shadi made a quick scan of the guards on the floor, looking for one person in particular. Speaking of the guards, where was Jou? He wasn't staked to the sandstone floor like the rest of his comrades. The fiercely loyal head of his majesty's elite guard was missing completely._

_Shadi scanned the rest of the room, looking for Jou. There was no sign of the loyal guardsman. But, at the far end of one of the rows of altars there was a young, white haired man that the priest was quite sure he had never laid eyes on before._

_Focusing on the mystery person at the end of the row, tied to the only altar that didn't have a matching companion set across from it, Shadi ascertained that the teen was versed in shadow magic; it was stamped prominently on his aura, as it was with Marik. Who was that boy, and why, after reading his aura, did he have the nagging feeling that he should know him?_

_The blue eyed priest contemplated those many questions as he worked feverishly to try and free at least one of his hands. It was of no use, the ropes were too thick and tied too tightly for him to even consider breaking free. And judging from the noise in the outer corridor, he didn't have much time left to try. It sounded like the group in the other room was heading his way. In that instant, Shadi decided that he would give his life, and soul to protect his Pharaoh - and hopefully his lover and unborn child as well. He just needed to know from what._

"_See, I told you nothing would go wrong." One of the robed men spoke as they filed into the room. "We are better than these lowlifes in every way."_

_The man hit the floor with the force of Akunadin's unexpected blow. "Never assume that you are superior us! You forget that were it not for me, you would not have this! You would not have him, have them!"_

_The man glared ineffectually back at the tall priest from his place on the floor, wiping blood off his chin, looking towards the other robed men for help._

_One of the other men stepped into the room, behind the traitor's back. "And you shall be rewarded for that."_

_The man snapped his fingers and ten of the crude men who had taken over Khemet surrounded the furious priest. "In fact…I think it is time for you to reap your reward. Ready the last altar!"_

"_What is the meaning of this?" Akunadin roared angrily as the men roughly forced him to the ground._

"_It appears that I was mistaken…we need ten after all." The cloaked man who appeared to be the leader of their group snickered in an effeminate voice. It was the first time that Shadi had heard the man talk; all other communication went through the others of the group. Even in their earlier meeting._

_Shadi couldn't believe that the traitor, Akunadin, had the gall to think that he wouldn't be betrayed. He almost laughed at the man's plight. But to do so would bring him unwanted attention. He needed to have their attention diverted elsewhere if he was going to attempt to escape. An almost imperceptible movement caught the corner of his eye, and he slowly turned his head._

_Across the room Shadi barely made out the shadowy figure of Jou, the head guard, peeking out of a hidden crevice behind the altar that Seto was tied to. How had he gotten there? Where was he throughout the coup? Well, wherever the blonde guard was previously, maybe he could help where Shadi could not. At that moment, Shadi wished he was able to convey his thoughts to the frightened guard._

_Jou shrank back into the shadows behind his lover's stone prison, shaking violently in his anger. He watched the group of strange, pale men as they set up yet another altar, looking for a flaw that would enable him to strike. One against so many was impossible odds, so he knew he had to time it just right. There was no room for error on his part._

_His light, honey brown eyes narrowed as the men hoisted his king's traitor on to it, bound and gagged. Bastard! He deserved his fate! The bleached blonde shook his head, focusing back on his task. Somehow, he needed to free the priests, and his Pharaoh. And all he was armed with was the small, ornate blade that Seto had gifted him with on their last anniversary. The task was nigh impossible. But he would do it, he had to._

_He was the only one left and he had known it ever since he woke up earlier, alone in one of the darkening corridors of the palace, his hands still wrapped around the throat of the cold body of the man he had chased out of the throne room, to find that the palace was completely deserted. He wandered the extensive grounds for what seemed like hours, searching for any other survivors. There wasn't a soul to be found anywhere. Even the Pharaoh's wife and only son had disappeared, he hoped to safety._

_It wasn't until he had headed towards the city, frightened and disoriented, that the guard literally stumbled across the trail of carnage that led him to the temple that was situated between the palace and the city. One of the men, he wasn't sure from which side, was bleeding profusely. And it left him enough of a trail that he was able to track them to this violated sanctuary._

_Using one of the hidden pathways that he had learned of as a child of a temple servant, the stunned guard made his way into the dimly lit chamber that was supposed to only have been used by the priests. These invaders defiled the temple by their mere presence. And that was before he witnessed what they had done to his Pharaoh. The thoughts greatly irritated the blonde and made him wonder why the gods had yet to strike them down. What else had happened while he was out?_

_All he could remember before waking to fuzzy sort of numbness was fighting against these pale strangers…and then darkness. He was certain that he had been hit with a powerful magic spell. That would account for the lack of wounds on his body and his inability to gather his wits. It galled him that someone had used an underhanded tactic like that. They were winning the fight damn it! Until that moment. At least he knew who the traitor was now._

_Crouching back out of sight behind the large stone pillar as the leader of the band came into view, Jou continued to watch the strange men as he looked for ways to unbind his lover and his friends from the stone. How they had the priests tied though was proving to make it a challenge. Jou would almost have to reveal himself in order to get at the ropes. And he had no intention of doing that yet. If he fucked up there was no one to help him._

_At the words of the robed leader, Jou jerked his narrowed gaze towards the front of the chamber, gritting his teeth in anger…_

"_I spit on your god-ling! He is worthless. Tonight we separate light from dark and become masters of the shadows! We become the gods!"_

_Shadi snapped his head to the front of the room to see that the leader of this group was standing directly in front of their helpless Pharaoh. As he looked on with wide, frightened eyes, the cloaked man withdrew a blade from the folds of his clothes and marked the king's exotic face deeply, drawing blood. The young Pharaoh fought against his drugged state, jerking his face from the pain the man was inflicting. But the man turned him back to carve more strange symbols into his skin. Blood ran from the various wounds to drip casually to the sandstone floor._

_Once the hooded stranger was finished covering the victimized ruler in odd drawings that ended down around his navel, he hacked off the prominent lock of blonde hair that fell into the king's face. Then he began chanting as he backed away, the others in his group falling in with the mantra. The man moved until he was directly behind the fallen monarch. Taking the knife, he proceeded to make more carvings until he was satisfied, grinning as the petite king thrashed about helplessly, before tossing the stolen hair into the air to let it float to the ground, scattered by the growing winds._

_Shadi cringed with each slash of the blade, seeing the look of pure agony that crossed his king's drug clouded face. It was obvious that the young man was fighting to clear his head, but with the drug induced haze, he was unable to do more than cry out in pain, his expressive features tightening in his torment._

_It was then that the blue eyed priest noticed that the winds had picked up violently in this chamber that had always been protected from the elements, whipping his clothes about in a frenzy. And not only that but a sinister, roiling cloud of blackness was beginning to emerge from the air behind his young monarch, growing more ominous with each word of the chant until it reached enormous blackened proportions. What the hell?_

_That was when Shadi began to feel the pain. It started as a low, nagging throb that beat in time with his heart, twisting his insides as it grew along with the dark cloud and the violent winds. He heard some of the guards cry out in pain. Not long after the first cry, louder and more unearthly shrieks began to come at him from all around the room, the shrill sounds reaching to the heavens themselves._

_In that heart stopping moment, the blue eyed priest knew that the invaders would succeed. They would succeed in the ritual they were trying to enact. He couldn't stop this, but he needed to stop what came after. The blue eyed priest knew what he had to do. Closing his eyes, Shadi began to recite a spell of his own, heedless of the gnawing, growing pain, praying that no one would hear him above the clamor._

_With this shadow curse, Shadi would ensure that he would forever protect those that were to be split. And they would be split; he understood what this ritual was for. The wording might not be the same, but the intent was. These strangers fully intended to split the souls of the priests and the Pharaoh in two. Powerful shadow magic. Something not to be messed with, for it could backfire just as easily as it could work._

_Why on earth would the strangers risk their own lives like this? What could they possibly gain from splitting souls? There were several different spells Shadi could think of that involved the use of half souls, but nothing that could be used immediately, unless… The priest's thoughts trailed away as a burst of pain brought a cry to his lips. It took nearly all his concentration to keep his chant going._

_The horrified screams of the guards staked to the floor, and of the men who had fought against them earlier in the day barely penetrated Shadi's hearing above the now gale force winds and the pain coiling within him. Then, mere minutes after the shrieking had begun…there was a strange, deathly silence, broken only by the infernal chanting and the howling, whipping winds._

_Chancing a look, Shadi was almost ill at the sight that greeted him. Where there used to be living, breathing human beings tied out on the ground and others milling around, there was now nothing but piles of bones, flesh and blood. It was as if they had all been turned inside out and left to rot. The sight was sickening, bringing tears to Shadi's eyes._

_He turned his tear stained face from the carnage, still chanting his hex quietly, only to look straight into the deep brown eyes of his wide awake, and frightened lover. She stared back._

_Another tear escaped his moist, swollen eyes, as the blue eyed priest thought of how he would never get to meet his unborn child. He would never witness the milestones that came with along that birth – watching as the child learned to walk, and talk, to pass on all the things that his father did with him when he was old enough. Never._

_Conveying all his love into one long, last glance at his lover, Shadi fought to continue his curse, biting back a groan of agony as his eyelids fell closed. He couldn't think any more. The pain was worsening; he could feel his insides threatening to break free from his skin He fought against the continuous pain knowing he had precious little time to finish his spell._

_After a few moments, the blue eyed priest began to hear a soft undercurrent of words that didn't seem to blend with the outsiders' mantra. The very act of opening his eyes had by then become a pain filled chore, but he had to see what was happening. The pressure built behind his eyelids as he peered out and around the room weakly. What he saw amazed him_

_The other priests were awake now as well, torn from their magic induced haze by their pain. And yet they were collectively chanting their own spell, their mouths moving even though their eyes were closed. Somehow they understood what he was attempting to do. He kept at his own mantra, trying to ignore the immense, painful pressure that was tearing him apart from the inside. Just a little longer and they would be bound to each other, and whatever the outsiders were planning – it wouldn't come to fruition._

_A last, agonizing glance toward the Pharaoh told Shadi what the invaders had planned from the beginning. This was why they needed ten magical souls – split in two. Dear gods, they were going to sacrifice the split souls! The invaders were going to use the Pharaoh and the priesthood to call upon the evilest of evils. To let the darkness roam the earth in physical form!_

_How in the hell could he have forgotten this spell? It had given him nightmares for weeks after Akunadin unearthed the old, worn scroll that had surfaced after one of the previous Pharaoh's tombs was robbed. He thought it had been buried again, deep under the concealing sands._

_Shadi watched in horror as the black shadowy vortex coiling behind the tortured ruler began to take shape, starting with the massive black claws that held the vulnerable king in their tight grasp, squeezing the last of youth's life force out of him. With a scream of pure terror, the Pharaoh lost the battle to stay alive._

_Shadi redoubled his attention to his spell, every second counted now. With the Pharaoh down it was only a matter of minutes before the rest of them would succumb. And he needed to reach the Pharaoh's light soul before the demon used it to power its way into the world. The gnawing pain was immense, consuming his consciousness, trying to force him away from his task. Finally the pressure became too much, and with an animalistic shriek that was echoed back at him from the other dying priests one by one…Shadi gave into the pain._

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Jou found his chance to move then, pulling his still breathing lover from the stone and breaking their ritual, but it was too late for most of us. I found myself looking down from a point above the carnage, my attention taken by what the Druid priests were doing to the guard. It was only a moment, but that was all it took for the half formed demon to begin pulling the newly created light souls to him." Shadi glanced around the room to see glassy and glazed eyes in a rainbow of colors looking back at him.

"Luckily for us, Mana and Mahaado's dark halves sensed what was happening…they sacrificed themselves against the dark god's rage when they pulled the rest of the lights back from his power. Karim and Isis's lights were all lost, though, as was mine. Gathering what newly formed souls we could, the rest of us quickly fled…towards the heavens." Shadi's voice broke when he couldn't hold back his emotions any longer.

Isis reached for her husband's hand as she sensed his breakdown. "While he was chanting the spell that would bind our souls to the Pharaoh's bloodline – his firstborn child that was spared – the rest of us attached our names, so we would always be able to find each other. The mere mention of one of our names would bring back a piece of memory. But as we came to find, we attached ourselves to the dark halves, not the light. It was a fatal mistake for four of our number."

"Mana…" Atemu looked up tearfully, remembering his sister's fate and equating it to one of the faces he had seen during the vision.

Yugi shivered violently, tears streaming down his face. It all seemed so real. He had seen the whole thing as if living it, felt the immense pain, smelled the copper tang of the blood, heard the roar of the wind. He didn't know if it was a true memory, or if Shadi had the ability to make them see what had happened on that bloody night oh so long ago.

With a deep shudder, the small teen bolted from his place on Atemu's lap. He was going to be sick. He barely made it to the bathroom by the kitchen before everything that he had eaten for breakfast came back up. Slumping to the floor after dry heaving for a third time, Yugi glanced shakily over to see that he was not the only one to be given that vivid of a dream – if that's what it was. Ryou was right along side him, retching into the sink.

Atemu jumped up, racing into the kitchen after his little one, Bakura right on his heels, only for them to be stopped halfway into the room by his young uncle. Malik placed his hands on the agents' shoulders halting them in their tracks gently.

"Please, let me attend to them." Malik looked between Atemu and Bakura as he spoke, seeking their compliance. "I assure you they will be fine."

Atemu forced his attention back towards the living room of the massive old house. It was apparent from the loud voices that there was an argument already in progress. The ruby eyed agent was torn between comforting his little one, and breaking up the dispute between his biological cousin and whoever it was he was yelling at. With a weak nod, Atemu gave his assent to the platinum blonde as he wiped the moisture from his eyes, his cousin mimicking the gesture. Atemu and Bakura made their way back into the other room, wanting to be there in case things got out of hand, as Malik walked into the bathroom to help the two smaller lights.

"Stop trying to feed me this line of shit! There is no magic…it doesn't exist! I don't need you forcing this on me every time I turn around!" Seto snarled, his face distorted with anger.

Shadi however was totally calm in the face of his adopted son's rage. "Then what of Atemu's abilities? What do you suppose…"

"Atemu can do nothing of the sort! He has no abilities! This is just another…!"

Jou was trying, unsuccessfully, to pull the blue eyed agent away from the fight, while Isis was doing her best to pull Shadi away from his enraged son. Neither of the men was budging. Shadi, despite his pain and fatigue was standing up to the younger man, attempting to stare him down with the truth.

Atemu stood off to the side, trying to understand how his cousin could possibly defend his position. After watching the pair debate loudly and increasingly violently for a minute or two, he decided it was time to step in and show his disbelieving cousin that he was wrong. This couldn't continue and no one else seemed to want to step in. With a sigh, he moved cautiously out of the corner, calling their attention to him.

"Then what exactly would you call this, Seto?" Atemu asked quietly as he made his way to the center of the room where the two were currently having it out.

In his outstretched hand he held one of the shadow flames that he had spent the past couple of weeks perfecting his skills with. A chorus of gasps met his ears as the whole group turned his way. Atemu advanced on his cousin, his eyes glinting dangerously, holding the small but lethal purplish flame up where everyone could see.

When his shocked cousin refused to acknowledge the glowing fire, he all but shoved it into his face. "This doesn't exist? Tell me! Does it exist?" He snarled.

Seto shook his head, looking everywhere but at the glowing fire ball. He didn't want to admit that the others were different. It would mean that all his life he was odd man out. There was nothing special about him, just as his birth mother had told him over and over, in person and in letters. There was nothing special about him.

"Fuck you!" Seto roared as he slapped Atemu's hand away and fled the room, almost launching the destructive flame out of the ruby eyed agent's hands. It was only by sheer will that Atemu was able to hang onto it.

The door slammed soon after, indicating that the volatile, blue eyed agent had left the house. It took nearly all of Atemu's concentration to pull the small flame back into his being. He had still not fully recovered from the incident yesterday. Breathing heavily with the exertion, the ruby eyed agent glanced up to realize that his astonished family had witnessed the entire scene, before lowering his ruby gaze, ashamed at his loss of control.

"I couldn't stop myself…he needed physical proof." Atemu muttered, trying to excuse his behavior.

Jou was torn between wanting to know what the hell had just happened, and going after the person who had been his constant companion for the past three months. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. A human flame? How in the hell? He glanced helplessly towards Isis for guidance. She seemed to be the voice of reason. Seeing her nod towards the kitchen, the blonde made up his mind. Ducking out of the room, Jou went to find the blue eyed agent.

Bakura and Marik began speaking in low tones as Isis directed Shadi back down onto the couch. Atemu had still not moved from his position in the center of the room. Nor would he meet anyone's gaze. After a moment's contemplation, the ruby eyed agent decided that he should talk to Seto, try to explain why he acted the way he did. Maybe find out why his cousin was so dead set against anything that had to do with the unexplainable. He turned to walk out of the room.

"Leave them…Seto has many issues that need to be resolved before he can accept our situation. Let your little one's friend fill the hole in his heart. Besides, the lights will be finished with their discussion in a few moments. You need to be here for your little one." Isis gently advised.

With an apologetic glance at his adopted mother, Atemu changed direction to sit in a chair over in the corner of the room. He was not yet up to talking about what had transpired, even though it was apparent that Bakura and Marik were wishing that he would.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	16. Chapter 16

So sorry for the…what, almost 3 month delay. Mother Nature doesn't seem to like me very well since she took out my computer, and I've been playing hell trying to get the parts to put it back together. But if finally worked and I'm back in business. :D I'll resume my updating schedule with the exception of WSHB and THaB – since I seem to be lacking chapters. Oh well, back to the drawing board, at least these ones are whole and complete, they just need to be updated. Thanks for those of you who stuck with me. I appreciate it.

And for being so kind I have a lemon in this chapter (yeah it was there already but I'm not saying anything).

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"I…Wh-what?" Atemu blanched - his exotic, caramel colored face turning a deep red as he gaped helplessly at his adopted father like a fish out of water.

Regaining his senses, the ruby eyed agent snapped his mouth shut with an audible click as he ducked his head; physically sensing everyone's eyes on him after that stupid little outburst. How in the hell had they ended up so far off the original subject? And what, exactly, did his and Yugi's sex life have to do with their dilemma?

He gritted his teeth, trying unsuccessfully to tame the heat that spread over his face. Shadi's quietly spoken observation took him completely by surprise, making it all but impossible for him to keep his normally hidden emotions from being visible to each and every person in the room, and he felt a moment of shame for his revealing outburst.

Atemu finally managed to school his features back into his usual mask of indifference, all the while trying to figure out how his adopted father had come across that juicy little tidbit of information. It wasn't exactly common knowledge, something that they broadcast to everyone within shouting distance. It was something that only the two of them should have known about, seeing as the act only happened a couple of days ago.

Yugi looked blankly over at his lover's reddened face. What had set him off? The petite, amethyst eyed teen hadn't really paid all that much attention to the turn of the conversation in the past ten minutes, being too caught up in trying to understand why they were so different, even for half souls. And so he missed out on some pertinent information – obviously.

He opened his mouth to question his distressed lover when loud peals of unrestrained laughter coming from behind him caught his attention. The shy teen turned around just in time to catch sight of Bakura as he slid off the couch onto his knees, doubled over, trying to catch his breath. He caught Atemu's irritated look, as the scarlet eyed man raised an elegant brow at the display.

"Oh…now that's fuckin' funny!" The white haired agent gasped, wiping tears of mirth from his face.

Shadi sighed as he glanced over to the corner of the room at his nephew's loud guffaws. Incensed that the other would find the topic humorous he aimed his next comment at the unsuspecting white haired agent.

"I sense the same imbalance in your correlation with your light, Bakura…so I would suggest you not make light of your cousin's circumstances. You are in the same situation."

That sobered the gruff agent up rather quickly. With something halfway between a choke and a snarl, Bakura managed to say rather intelligently "Wha?"

The undignified remark, coupled with the agent's shocked expression caused the platinum blonde duo sitting on the couch to explode into raucous laughter. Up until that point, the pair had been able to keep their amused chuckles mostly to themselves. But the stunned look on Bakura's face proved to be too much. Both Bakura and Atemu aimed fiery glares at the near identical blondes, daring them to continue.

"What about them? Isn't their…what did you call it…unbalanced?" The irritated agent jerked a thumb at the laughing pair, when they refused to quiet down.

"Actually no, their relationship is quite balanced." Shadi replied evenly, causing Marik to freeze in the act of laughing - at the insinuation.

"And what, exactly, are you implying…" Marik growled low in his throat with a dark look aimed at his older brother in law.

"Oh honestly! All of you are being ridiculous about this!" Isis broke into the conversation, sensing her younger brother's boyfriend's quicksilver change in attitude. "Shadi wasn't implying anything, Marik…He simply stated the truth. You both have given and received each other's physical affections. There is nothing to get defensive about."

The well-built blonde took a moment to decide if he should take offense to the line of discussion. After a few huffs and puffs of male pride, he leaned back against the couch and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend, deciding just to ignore the slight to his masculinity.

Bakura, in the meantime, grumbled about the unfairness of the situation, as Atemu, forgetting his own precarious position, tried hard not to laugh outright at his cousin's surly expression.

"Sucks when the shoe is on the other foot, doesn't it?" Atemu quipped with a feral smirk.

Bakura grunted in annoyance but didn't return the jest. The others wasted no time in teasing him over his reaction, forgetting all about Atemu's initial response in the melee. After a few moments of being unable to come up with a suitable reply to their teasing, Bakura fired off a snappy retort at his younger cousin, reminding quickly him of his own situation.

"Okay…enough of this nonsense!" Isis snapped. "When we tell you that you need to do something, it is in all seriousness. And right now your powers need to be in balance so we do not have a repeat of yesterday."

Yugi looked up cautiously, giving the white haired teen next to him a questioning look. Ryou looked back at him blankly, having been lost in his own thoughts as well. Neither of them truly understood the events of the day before, nor what was currently causing the uproar between their lovers.

One of them needed to ask, but Yugi didn't want to appear stupid in front of Atemu's family. And it didn't look like his new friend did either. With a quiet sigh the small tricolor haired teen gathered up the courage to ask his question.

"W-what did h-happen yesterday? I still d-don't understand…"

Isis sighed, shaking her head at his naiveté. "You possess all of the Pharaoh's light magic, young one. This includes healing. But, although you inherited his tremendous will, you did not inherit the Pharaoh's physical strength. You need an amplifier of sorts to use your more powerful gifts. The moment you touched Atemu, in his distress, your powers back fed between each other until it created an excess that pulled our strength to you and it wiped out almost everyone in the room. If the two of you were balanced, you would only have needed a portion of that power and it would have healed both Marik and Shadi completely."

Yugi closed his eyes as he thought on the answer for a few minutes. The explanation didn't make sense. Then again nothing was making sense right now. He still didn't understand all the intricacies of their situation. Everything was so complex…Why couldn't he be just another normal person? But if he was, would he still have Atemu?

"Think of it as an electrical short." Shadi stated, breaking into his confused thoughts. "If there is a short in the wiring, not all of the electricity is going to where it is directed. Some of it is lost along the way, maybe to another circuit entirely."

Comprehension was immediate. Yugi smacked himself for being so dense, his action causing Atemu to glance at him sharply.

"Then how do we…fix this?" He asked shyly.

"The solution is very simple, young one." Isis replied. "You need to become one with each other…each giving and receiving the other's physical love in order for your energies to become…familiar with each other again."

Yugi's face lit up in a deep rose color…But something wasn't adding up. He had already slept with Atemu. So why were they still not in balance? And why would his lover have anything to say against it if the act in question had already happened? The small teen turned around to face his darker half with a questioning glance, only to find that Atemu had turned a brilliant shade of red as well.

The ruby eyed agent uncharacteristically fidgeted with his hands, refusing to look up. He really did not want to explain this to his little one. Especially not in front of the others. But by the look the boy had just given him, it was quite clear that he didn't quite understand where this was leading.

Pleading to any god available, Atemu prayed for Yugi to understand without his help. For even speaking mentally, they could still be overheard by all those present in the room if they so chose to eavesdrop. The ruby eyed agent didn't think that his and Yugi's sex life was anyone else's business.

"You are not in balance because only one of you has received the other's physical love. It is the same with Bakura and his light." Shadi answered the question that the small teen had not asked - drawing a glare from Atemu, as well as Bakura when Ryou whipped around to study the man sitting on the couch behind him.

"Oh god…I, uh…wow…" Yugi scrubbed at the heat in his face.

He had to…? That meant that Atemu…! Was it getting hot in here? The small teen chanced a look over at his lover to see that the man's face had paled considerably. Why? Was the thought really that bad? Shamefully he lowered his head.

"Wow is…quite the understatement…" Ryou declared uncomfortably, his face blooming with sudden color as he and Bakura locked eyes.

Yugi found the soft gray carpet beneath him quite interesting as he asked listlessly. "So, uh…now what?"

"The only way I can think to fix this is to confine the four of you to your rooms, until you figure it out on your own." Shadi replied, standing slowly. "Marik, Malik – would you kindly show them upstairs. Seto and Jou will be back in the next few hours and I would like us to have one less problem to deal with when they return."

"Shadi, I'm going to start dinner. If you have enough strength…" Isis gestured to the kitchen.

"I will help." He replied, limping slightly as he followed his wife into the kitchen. Thank the gods Isis had some mundane task for him to do. He really didn't want to know how the two blondes were going to get the others to follow his orders.

Marik and Malik stood up from the couch, the taller one stretching in a cat like manner, eyeing the others with an evil grin. Motioning with his hand, Malik bade the others to move as well. Bakura glared at the duo stubbornly, refusing to get off the couch. It wasn't too long before his body was no longer obeying his commands, and the sarcastic voice inside his head did not belong to his conscience.

'You will move. I see you have forgotten what happened the last time you refused to do as I bid you nephew.'

Atemu's eyes widened when he saw Bakura move jerkily from his place on the couch like a puppet on a string, his velvet brown eyes rolled into the back of his head. Deciding that he wanted no part of what was happening; the smaller agent quickly scooted off the floor and held out a hand to his little one, who was fixed in his place, looking quite alarmed.

"That was a good idea on your part. Now just move towards the stairs and you won't have the same problem as your cousin."

Atemu jumped, looking back at Marik in horror. Then his eyes slid over to his uncle Malik. Whatever was happening to Bakura, Malik had a hand in it. It was almost like the smaller platinum blonde was in a trance, his hand moving every few moments in tandem with the movements of Bakura's feet, as if directing his actions.

And then whatever had happened – stopped. Bakura sagged against the railing on the stairs as Malik blinked and looked around as if coming back to himself.

Aiming a dark look at the smaller platinum blonde, Bakura snapped. "There wasn't any need for that shit! Damn man, I'll go!"

Malik and Marik both smirked back at the white haired agent, causing him to shudder deeply before sending them another glare and returning to the center of the room to retrieve Ryou, whom he tossed up over his shoulders when it was clear that the teen was unable to move. And then he turned on his heel and stalked up the stairs.

Malik then trained his violet eyes on Atemu, extending a hand in invitation. Atemu shuddered as well, pulling Yugi up from the floor and towards the stairs. He had no intention of sticking around to see what else his young uncle was capable of.

"This is a first. I don't think I've ever been grounded to my room for not having sex before." Atemu shook his head with a rueful smirk as he pulled Yugi up the stairs behind him. "…Malik…remind me not to piss you off!"

"If you think I'm bad, wait until you see what Marik can do!" Malik shot back with a grin.

"And by the way…a shower might be appropriate before engaging in those types of activities which you are about to partake!" Marik called out with a laugh.

"That was mean!" Malik elbowed his boyfriend. "…Gods I love you!"

"I know it!" Marik flashed a cocky grin. "So…what do you say to making them squirm a little!"

Malik grinned evilly back at his boyfriend before following the others upstairs. If they had to sit in the hallway all night to ensure that Isis and Shadi's directions were followed, they would. And if they had to do more than that…well they would do that too. But they would at least give the two younger agents a chance to set things right on their own before resorting to more drastic measures.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

**This whole chapter is nothing but a massive lemon! You have been warned!**

"If you're…busy…I-I can, uh…I'll come back later…" Yugi's dripping, towel clad form started backing out the door at the deadly scowl on his lover's face.

The petite teen had so hoped that his lover was still part of the ongoing debate in Bakura and Ryou's room so that he could sneak in, grab his clothes and find somewhere quiet to hide until he was able to sort out his chaotic emotions. But apparently he was not going to be that lucky.

The instant he walked into the room he spied Atemu's tense, wary form leaning against the window sill. He already knew the reason the other was glaring certain death at the newly white coated scenery outside their window – there was no way not to after the discussion downstairs - and the rejection speared his heart.

The moment those ruby eyes lit on his sodden form Yugi closed his eyes, swallowing thickly. He couldn't move. He wanted to run and hide. Somewhere far away from this whole situation – away from Atemu. There was no way he could do what Isis and Shadi wanted, even though the very thought haunted his dreams. He couldn't. Not when Atemu didn't want it. That would be rape!

Shaking away his troubled thoughts with a self-depreciating smirk, Atemu held a hand out to his unmoving lover. "You can come in Aibou. I was just…Aibou?"

Seeing that his little one was frozen in his place just inside the door, Atemu got up from where he was standing at the window to fetch him. It was made very clear by both Malik and Marik that if they didn't do what they were told - well they would still end up doing what they were told. And he would much rather do this willingly than have someone else commanding his mind and body.

Just the thought of someone else in control of his mind caused his entire body to tense against such an attack. He was still on edge. Not even the hasty shower ten minutes ago did anything to calm his raw, frazzled nerves.

And it looked, to him, like his little one was just as nervous. The boy was shivering visibly, but Atemu doubted it had anything to do with the fact that he was dripping wet. True it was cold outside, but it was rather warm in their spacious room, so that idea was ruled out as quickly as it came to his mind.

Atemu came to a standstill in front of the trembling boy, looking down at him tenderly. His little one was so sensual looking with tiny droplets of water tracing patterns down his flawless, pale skin. His damp hair falling about his shoulders in a thick wave of colors. The ruby eyed agent wanted nothing more than to pick the boy up in his arms and carry him to bed, to taste the water as it pooled on his silky porcelain skin. But Yugi had yet to look up at him, and the action struck him as odd.

Hesitantly Atemu reached out and cupped the boy's chin, turning his head gently, their eyes connecting. The wounded deer look evident deep within those expressive amethyst jewels. How were they going to do this if both of them were nervous beyond belief? It was bad enough he was uneasy, but if Yugi couldn't…then what?

"Aibou…" He murmured, leaning in and brushing his lips against the satin skin of Yugi's face, drawing the teen up against him as he shut the door.

Yugi tipped his head, searching out Atemu's lips with his own. A tiny shock jolted the two of them as their mouths met, and Yugi practically melted into the soul searing kiss, wrapping his arms around his taller lover. Their tongues met somewhere on middle ground, gently brushing against each other, neither trying to dominate the kiss, only to sense, to feel…to comfort.

The diminutive teen sighed softly at the light touch of his older lover's tongue against his, falling into the deep, luxurious kiss. His small hands fisted in the fabric of Atemu's shirt, drawing the moment out as long as he could, reality slipping away from him with each gentle caress. Long, slender arms wound their way around his body to cradle him against the man's muscular chest, making him feel safe, secure, wanted.

Eventually, Atemu dragged himself away, planting feather light kisses on the smaller teen's parted lips and his nose. Yugi sniffed lightly, his eyes filling with the tears that he was trying so hard not to shed.

"Aibou…what's wrong?" Atemu tightened his hold on his petite lover. The look in those jewel-like eyes was so desolate, almost like he was ready to cry.

At the whispered question Yugi buried his head into Atemu's well-built chest and started sobbing, the moisture from both the tears and the teen's damp body soaking into his clingy, black tee-shirt as the shattered sound of his voice echoed throughout the room.

"I-I don't want to do this…I don't…please…"

Atemu held him close for a few minutes, letting him cry out his troubles. Then, after the heart wrenching sobs had finally subsided, the ruby eyed agent pried the tearful boy from his chest.

Looking deep into those vulnerable amethyst jewels he was sorely tempted to sweep the boy into his arms, take him to bed and spend the rest of the night trying to make him forget why this idea was…well maybe not so much abhorrent, but at least distasteful, to the both of them. Instead, he simply asked the question he was almost dying to know since Yugi's tearful comment.

"Why do you not wish to do this, little one? Do you not want me?"

At his query the boy burst back into tears, his grip on the water logged tee-shirt tightening. "I-it's not that…not that…I-I don't want t-to, I really do…but…you don't want…it, an-and I don't want…to be th-the one t-to force you…"

Atemu blinked at the rush of emotion that raced through his body. Damn it! His careless reaction earlier hurt his little one badly. And he was at a loss as to explain why he reacted the way he had in front of the others. But he couldn't let his little one continue to think that way. The beautiful, loving boy in his arms didn't deserve to think that he was unwanted. Not when the truth was so far from it that it wasn't funny.

"Aibou…please don't think that I don't want you to love me…I do…I just…I never truly thought about being…I don't know how to…what to expect…and it's making me…I'm…damn it!" He cursed softly. "I'm scared…I don't know what to do!"

Atemu cringed. Shit! He hadn't meant to say that! The boy in his arms looked to him for strength and support. How was he going to react to knowing that his supposedly fearless lover was no stronger, no less frightened and confused than he was?

Yugi's grip on the soft, damp material increased as he listened to Atemu's disjointed explanation. The pieces of the puzzle slowly falling into place.

Of course, why hadn't he realized it earlier? Given Atemu's rather forceful nature, and what the man had been through when he was no more than a child, he really should have known that his lover was going to have control issues. And the other's had –harmful intentions or not – made their private affairs public. That was nothing but a recipe for disaster.

Raising his head, the petite teen looked deep into anguished ruby eyes, stating quietly. "I thought you didn't want me…that you didn't believe in me enough to let me."

"Nothing could be further than the truth, little one." Atemu tightened his hold, running his hands soothingly over the boy's back, through his still wet hair. "Nothing could be further from the truth. But I had hoped to have a little time to sort out my feelings on this…and for the moment to be private."

"Yeah…it is a little weird having everyone know about your sex life." Yugi agreed quietly, fiddling with the damp tee-shirt. "Oh Atemu…I'm sorry, I got your shirt all wet."

"It's okay Aibou. It has to come off sometime anyways. Remember what we're here to do." The larger of the two remarked as he casually peeled the soaked shirt from his body and sauntered over to discard it in the corner of the room.

Yugi blushed deeply as he watched Atemu move gracefully about the room, taking in his lover's polished, masculine form. His body's reaction to the erotic sight was instant, the blood rushing to a certain part of his anatomy as his heart flip flopped in his chest.

Amethyst eyes roamed over the other's exquisite features, the light muscles that stood out on his bare chest, the scarcely visible trail of hair that ran down his stomach to end somewhere hidden from view by his pants, to end at the tight jeans clung to the man's slim hips, outlining his muscular legs and perfectly shaped rear end.

"Aibou…?" Atemu stopped in front of their bed, his body shivering at the uncharacteristically predatory gleam in his lover's normally innocent eyes.

The petite teen snapped out of his trance, shaking his head - the excess water from his hair flying in all directions, before he slowly made his way over to Atemu to link their hands together. "Are you sure… you really want this?"

Atemu took a deep breath, gazing down at the one person he would do anything in the world for. But could he do this? To him the act had always seemed shameful, demeaning. But if it was – why hadn't Yugi protested his actions earlier, when they had gotten together their first night.

Or had he and Atemu had just been too dense to notice. He had never thought about the little one's feelings that day, had he? Never thought about what he was actually doing, his only thoughts were about his body's needs. Turning his head away, Atemu cringed as the memories and fears from long ago surfaced to mingle with his doubts and insecurities.

"It's not humiliating, Atemu…you're basing your feelings on what that guy did to you when you were too young to understand. Nothing we did that night was shameful. I wanted it just as much as you did. I love you…and you love me, there's nothing for me to be ashamed of." Yugi raised a hand gently to his lover's face, smiling when Atemu nuzzled his palm. "Let me show you the pleasure you've shown me. Please…?"

"I…I don't know what to do." Atemu let out the breath he hadn't been aware that he was holding. "I don't have much experience in this…only what we did that night…I think this is why I never…I didn't…I couldn't…"

"Shhh." Yugi put a fingertip to his lips to stall the rest of his comment. "You helped me through the more…uncomfortable moments of that night. It's my turn."

The petite teen dropped his towel and crawled up onto the bed, quaking inwardly at his momentary boldness as he held his hand out. It was his turn to be strong, to show his exotic lover that he could shoulder some of their burdens - that he didn't have to do it alone.

After a moment of indecision, Atemu grasped the offered hand and let Yugi guide him down onto the bed. He wrapped his trembling hands around the metal slats in the headboard as he lay his head down on the pillow, hanging on as if for dear life. As he did, he noticed that someone had been kind enough to wrap a pair of handcuffs around the headboard. A suggestion maybe?

He swallowed thickly at the thought, his heart pounding in his chest. And then another undignified thought crossed his mind. Maybe he should have finished undressing beforehand. His pants would only get in the way now, with as tense as his body was. He felt too awkward and uncoordinated to try and shed them in the submissive position that he was in. But what other choice was there? His trembling hands moved to close around one of the many buttons on his jeans…

"No…let me do that." Amethyst eyes almost seemed to beg him from where Yugi lay completely exposed, and totally beautiful, beside him on the bed.

Eventually, the ruby eyed agent nodded his assent, closing his eyes and returning his hands to their position around the headboard. He shifted, startled, when a small hand wandered inquisitively down the length of his bare chest, exploring the contours of his body - leaving goose bumps in its wake.

Yugi's eyes widened, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, as he spied the gift that one of the others had left for them hanging from the headboard. But as much as the thought of his lover bound, naked and willing, was causing his body to overheat, he just couldn't do it. Atemu deserved to be able to say no if he wanted to. And to tie him up would only make the situation worse. It was bad enough that there was tension rolling off the man's body in waves. Now, how to make him relax…

The ruby eyed agent gasped as the hand that had been wandering his torso shifted downward to run under the waist band of his pants, causing them to tighten uncomfortably. The hand moved lower, sliding between his overheated skin and the fabric of his jeans and he arched up into the cool, gentle touch.

"That's it…relax." Yugi whispered as he claimed Atemu's mouth in a demanding kiss that left the other shaken with its intensity.

In parting he nipped at the pulse point on Atemu's neck, causing the agent to gasp, shivering violently at the sensation. Realizing that he had found a sensitive spot, Yugi repeated the action. He grinned; his sexy lover was so responsive, even though he was beyond tense. He could use that sensitivity to his advantage.

"Aibou…" Atemu murmured breathily as the sneaky hand caressed him inside of his clothing. His grip on the headboard tightened as he fought with his body's urge to overpower the small teen and reverse their positions. Gods he wanted the little one so badly right now. He almost didn't trust himself to keep his hands off the boy. This wasn't going to do.

"Aibou…" Atemu glanced meaningfully at the handcuffs as Yugi turned to look at him.

"Are you sure…?"

The teen's question came out in a breathless gasp, his body instantly comprehending what his lover was trying to tell him, a bolt of lust shooting directly to his throbbing erection. The very thought of Atemu, naked and bound as he writhed beneath him, was enough to make the teen's temperature rise and his heart race with anticipation.

Yugi laid a tender hand against the man's face, touching the corner of his eyes briefly with his thumb as he sought to ascertain the truth hidden within the shuttered ruby depths. Once the answer had been given he slid the cuffs around the slender wrists, taking infinite care not to damage the soft, caramel skin.

Atemu closed his eyes as the cuffs were locked into place around his wrists, cutting off his escape. He knew this had to be done or he would lose control and overpower the small teen, ending up in a repeat of the other night - which didn't sound all that bad to him. But that wasn't what they were confined to their room for. It would be better just to get this done and over with. He drew in a startled breath as the teen's hand wandered down to the front of his pants, his body arching up into the soothing touch.

There was a distinct popping sound, then another and another as Yugi worked on the buttons that held Atemu's lower half from his view. And the taller of the two sighed as the offending material was gently peeled away from his overheated skin, freeing his trapped erection. The cloth was slid smoothly down his legs and off his body to land in a heap by the bed.

Once the garment was tossed aside, Yugi leaned up on one arm to study his lover's majestic form. His hands committed each and every hollow and crevice to memory, running lightly over the muscular chest, down the firm, flat stomach and lower, much lower. The heated skin rising into goose bumps wherever his hands touched, wringing soft sighs and moans from Atemu's lips.

The petite teen leaned in to trace one of the dusky nipples with the tip of his tongue, loving the feel of the skin as it pebbled instantly beneath his attentions, leaving his lover shivering and breathless, before moving on to follow the trail of goose bumps that his hand had left behind.

The proud erection, now free of its confines, stood tall and straight, just begging for his touch. But the small teen bypassed it in favor of the muscular thighs that quivered at his very touch. Atemu squirmed at the unusual sensations, pulling his legs up and together, to plant his feet flat on the bed. Yugi grinned at the attempt. So that was how he was going to play this?

A devilish grin made its way to the boy's lips as he continued his ministrations, dipping his fingers every so often in between his lover's silky thighs in an attempt to gain access to the sensitive area that the man was trying to hide from him, wringing gasps of pleasure from Atemu at his daring.

"Ngh…Aibou…"

Atemu trembled visibly, tugging at his bindings, his legs parting to allow his lover access to what he had sought so hard to hide before. He had no idea that his skin was so sensitive there, but apparently it was. Each tender touch, each loving caress sent sparks of heat shooting straight to his groin, his erection pulsing helplessly with the strong sensations. And he was powerless to do anything about it.

Shivering wildly, he hissed as the hand continued to glide gently along the inside of his thigh, making his temperature rise with each soft touch - only for him to take in a sharp breath as the hand wandered up between his cheeks to ghost lightly over his rear entrance, stopping for only a moment to rub up against the guarded opening before continuing up to cup him where he was soft. His body gave a startled jerk as new feelings assaulted him from just that simple contact. What was that?

"Aibou…!"

The word came out as a strangled gasp, rather than the warning growl that he had intended, causing Yugi to glance back at him innocently as the small hand continued on its way up the underside of his erection to grasp him tightly.

"Shhh…it's okay." Yugi soothed, stroking Atemu's hardened member as he leaned in for a light kiss.

As Yugi worked him over with the palm of his hand, Atemu came down from the mixed emotions that those unusual feelings had caused. This he was used to, he could deal with. Like what he had felt when they made love the first time - this sensation he could understand, the coiling of heat in his groin with each stroke and caress. It was an extremely pleasant sensation and he didn't want it to stop, as he thrust his hips up into the hand holding him gently.

Whatever had happened earlier was beyond his comprehension. And he wasn't sure he wanted the action repeated.

A tightening in the pit of his stomach caused him to cry out as Yugi leaned in to taste him, the heat from that hot little mouth as it wrapped around the head of his throbbing length taking him by complete surprise. His body jerked in reaction to the surprise, leaving the teen gagging at the sudden movement.

"S-sorry…" Atemu stuttered, blushing lightly.

"'s okay. You really need to relax." Yugi whispered, reaching out to cup his lover's flushed, heated face as he continued to stroke his hardened length. They shared a passionate kiss before Yugi bent down to continue where he had left off, moving until he was kneeling in front of Atemu's erection, one pale leg keeping tan ones from closing.

The small teen looked up with a smirk as he placed a tender kiss to the tip. The look on his lover's exotic features was nothing short of pure ecstasy as he licked the underside of the rigid, pulsing shaft. The small teen sucked him hard, gently stroking what he couldn't fit into his mouth; drawing low moans of passion from the man's lips with every movement of his hand or his mouth.

He still held the other's leg, trapped between his own, and he used this to his advantage, his free hand moving up those tan, muscular thighs to find the place that had Atemu squirming earlier, gently spreading the baby soft skin with two of his fingers to reach that tender place on his lover's body.

His thumb brushed lightly at the guarded opening and the muscles clenched tightly against the intrusion. If Yugi could have smiled around the erection that he was currently busy with, he would have. For Atemu had started thrashing his head around, his release imminent. The small teen brushed up against the opening one more time, pushing lightly against the muscles as he braced himself for what was to come.

"Ahh! Ngh…Aibou!" Atemu shouted as he came, the intense pleasure of whatever Yugi had done, combined with the delicious heat from that talented mouth, making him lose control.

Atemu came back to himself panting, as the small teen pulled his thumb back from where it was resting harmlessly against his opening. Mixed feelings of apprehension and anticipation followed the removal of the teen's hand from his backside.

"Don't look like that…it gets better. I promise."

Atemu shivered lightly in response to the statement, too stunned to comment back. His feelings must have shown on his face.

Yugi looked down at Atemu as he lay shaking, licking his lips for that last taste. The erotic sight sent another blast of heat to the ruby eyed agent's groin, making his member stir to life once again. His little one looked so incredibly sexy at that moment. There was nothing more he wanted other than to bend the boy over the bed and take him hard and swift, making him beg for release.

But Yugi had other things in mind as he searched the immediate area for something that was suitable to use as a lubricant. There wasn't anything within his sight and the petite teen was beginning to fear that he would have to get dressed and go in search of it.

Atemu's face paled as he realized what his little one was searching for. Oh gods this was really happening! Swallowing, he tugged uselessly at his bindings as he sent his shaky thoughts to the boy, unable to make himself say the words aloud.

'It's inside the drawer…'

Yugi sent him a grateful smile, before leaning down to kiss him fully as he rummaged in the drawer beside the bed. Once the teen had his hands on the object of his search, he pulled back, laying a gentle hand alongside Atemu's face.

"Relax…I'm not going to force you. I want you…but only if you're willing…okay?"

The ruby eyed agent nodded in understanding, his heart hammering in his chest, but his eyes slammed shut on the sight of his smaller lover coating his fingers in the slick, colorless liquid. He really wasn't ready for this yet. Tremors shook his body as he fought with the urge to close his legs.

"Atemu…please look at me." Yugi's soft voice caught his attention, his eyes opening to look into intense, glowing amethyst.

A gentle hand found its way to his face, caressing him tenderly as he waited for the teen's next words. The slender finger that was tormenting him earlier once again returning to stroke the muscles that guarded his body's entrance, causing him to shiver deeply, moving against it, even as it did no more than brush against him. His body obviously knew what it wanted, even as his mind protested the very thought.

"I have dreamed of this since you first kissed me…" The small teen leaned in to kiss him lightly, teasing him with the tip of his slick finger. "But. If. You. Don't. Want. This. I. Won't. Complain. Ever."

Each word driven by a soft kiss, the boy's very breath fanning across his face. Towards the end of the teen's heart felt whisper Atemu found himself opening his mouth, looking for something deeper, more satisfying than the feather light pecks that the teen was giving.

The child was driving him mad with want, holding the promised kiss just out of his reach as he continued to torment him with the tip of his finger, sliding it lightly just up inside of his sensitive opening before backing out only to dart back inside, giving him a little taste of what was to come.

Backing off slightly, the small teen gave the other a little space to gather his thoughts, removing his hand to let it rest on the man's trembling thigh, rubbing comfortingly. But the only thing Atemu seemed to be interested in was that hot little mouth scant inches from his, his ruby gaze alternating between intense amethyst and those soft, supple lips before finally turning that tormented gaze back to Yugi's, all but begging to be kissed thoroughly.

"Tell me what you want first…" Yugi breathed, backing a little further of reach as his lover moved forward, his lips parted slightly, asking to be kissed. "Will you let me love you?"

"I…I am yours to do with as you wish little one…As long as you kiss me." Atemu trembled with the truth of his statement. Knowing that he would follow the boy to the ends of the earth if he had to. If this was what his lover wanted, then this is what he wanted to give. It was the least he could do for this beautiful being who had already given him the gift of his heart and his body.

Yugi leaned back in, giving him what he was seeking. Atemu shivered into the earth shattering kiss, as his tongue was engaged into a playful battle. He knew full well what the boy was attempting to do with this kiss; after all he had done it when they had lain together the first time. So he wasn't too surprised when he felt the return of that questing finger as it once again brushed against the opening to his body.

What he was surprised at was the rush of strong emotions that came along with the unusual sensation: shame, anticipation, fear, love - they all fought within his mind as his lover touched that most intimate part of his body. He found it hard to concentrate on the kiss as that slick, determined digit worked on the muscles guarding his entrance, urging them to loosen with each soft, loving caress.

Wide scarlet eyes met knowing amethyst, Atemu hissing in surprise as the persistent finger finally parted the muscles, delving deeply into his body. When had they broken the kiss? Atemu had been so intent on what that insistent finger was doing that he hadn't realized his lover was watching him carefully, gaging his reactions.

Yugi groaned as Atemu's muscles clamped down powerfully on his finger, forcing him to cease his movement. A deep shudder rocked the man's body as Yugi held him close, whispering words of comfort into his ear as he searched for the spot that would drive his lover wild. He shivered in anticipation, his body wanting so badly to be enveloped within that tight warmth.

Atemu barely heard his smaller lover's words of comfort through the rush of feeling that bombarded him from the moment that the slender finger found its way inside of him. His breathing quickened as he felt the strange, slick pulling feeling of that finger as it moved around inside of him, almost as if searching…

"AH! Aibou...What?"

Wide, uncertain ruby eyes searched out and found Yugi's as something sent a jolt of pure pleasure racing through his system. The little one grinned back at him as he pushed back against the intruding digit, his body opening willingly to allow the invader deep inside; the need to find that intense, almost blinding sensation again overriding the panic that was threatening to cloud his mind.

Yugi prodded at the ultra-sensitive spot repeatedly, smiling thoughtfully as he watched Atemu's body shake and shudder beneath his attentions, the man's normally deep, sultry voice taking on a sensual, almost breathless quality. Never before had the small teen heard that tone issued from his lover's lips. Damn that was sexy!

"Shhh. Just ride with it…Gods that's hot!" Yugi whispered against his ear, sending shivers up his spine.

One finger quickly became two and Atemu found that he could no longer contain the loud cries that built up with each thrust, his body shivering deeply as sparks of pleasure danced throughout his nerves, the aftershocks causing his toes and fingers to curl. A coil of heat winding tighter within his lower regions with each strike to his prostate.

"Come on Atemu…I want to hear you." Yugi encouraged as he thrust both fingers inside, nailing his prostate dead on as he stretched his body for their union.

Just the feeling of those silken walls as they held tightly around his fingers was driving the petite teen wild with desire. He could well imagine that tight, velvety warm sheathe as it caressed his length, the thought making him even harder than before. He added a third finger on his next thrust, aiming straight for that bundle of nerves that drove his lover wild.

Atemu writhed on the bed under his smaller lover's onslaught. His body acted of its own accord, willingly pushing back against the invading digits, welcoming them as they sent tingling jolts of sensation dancing along his nerves. His cries were almost constant now as Yugi continued to assault his prostate with each thrust of his hand.

And then, just that quickly, the sensation was gone, as Yugi withdrew his fingers, allowing Atemu to come back to himself as he gasped for breath. The ruby eyed agent blinked as he gathered his scattered thoughts. He couldn't believe that he had been reduced to a pleading, begging mess with just a simple touch.

"Hey…there's nothing to be ashamed of Atemu…it's okay to let go." Yugi tipped his head back, looking straight into troubled ruby eyes as he rubbed a generous amount of the lube on his aching member. "I don't think any less of you for it. I've been there. And besides…that was totally hot! You have the sexiest voice I've ever heard!"

Atemu bit his lip, blushing deeply at the teen's remark. It was the first time that anyone had ever told him that he was hot. And he found himself wanting to please the little one all the more for it.

"Relax…I do love you. You're not going to be able to control everything…just do what comes naturally."

"I will try Aibou…I love you." Atemu leaned up asking for a kiss.

Yugi obliged as he settled his slender body down in between Atemu's parted legs, moaning into the kiss at the skin on skin contact. Ever so slowly he began rocking his body into his partner's; wringing moans of approval from his lover's kiss bruised lips, before taking a handful of his rear end into each hand and gently spreading his cheeks apart.

'I don't know if I can...' Atemu thought wildly as something much larger than those slender fingers butted up against his rear entrance. His entire body tensed at the notion of something that size trying to make its way up inside of him.

"You're doing fine…okay? Relax." Yugi soothed as he pushed against the tight ring of muscles surrounding his partner's entrance. Damn, there was no way around this. Atemu was so tight, so tense, this was going to hurt. The petite teen could have kicked himself for giving his lover time to think, for the man had tensed up again.

Atemu nodded submissively, closing his eyes against what was sure to be a large amount of pain. His eyes snapped open as the tip of Yugi's erection made it into his body, parting the muscle and filling him with a painful burning sensation. He bit down on his lip, this time drawing blood, against the need to cry out in pain.

He felt each and every slick inch of Yugi's erection as it slowly penetrated his virgin body. His mind rebelled against the burning pain as his body stretched to accommodate the thick, pulsing shaft. Damn this hurt! He knew the boy was packing, but this was ridiculous.

'Too much…too…'

'Easy…you're okay…' Yugi's gentle voice broke into his thoughts, calming his wildly beating heart. 'The hard part is over…breathe, love.'

Shifting slightly, Yugi sheathed himself completely within his lover's warm, willing body. He could feel Atemu's ragged breath against his ear as well as feel the muscles as they clenched spasmodically around his buried member. Reaching out, he turned Atemu's face to his, surprised to see the sheen of tears in those beautiful rubies.

"You…need to…relax…" Yugi gasped before claiming Atemu's mouth in another passionate kiss, drawing the man's attention from the pain. As the pressure eased slightly on his swollen arousal, Yugi knew that he had successfully distracted his lover. After a few moments, Atemu was participating in the kiss and the small teen shifted within his lover's silky warmth, nudging Atemu's prostate in the process.

"YUGI!"

Atemu broke the kiss to turn his head away, gasping. He had thought those slender fingers were pleasuring him earlier. That was nothing compared to this! It was the same intense, blinding pleasure as before, only times ten. The burning pain that he felt with his lover's entry serving only as a catalyst to heighten the intensity of the pleasing jolt that rocked him to his very core. He hissed as the teen shifted against him again, sending another wave of intense sensation racing through his system.

"Gods! Move!" He gasped as his body rocked back against Yugi's in an effort to find that powerful feeling again.

Grinning wildly at his lover's newfound enthusiasm, Yugi began to rock his hips, sliding out of the tight, warm sheathe only to plunge back in to the hilt, creating a friction between them that left Atemu trembling and begging for more.

"Aibou….ah! AIBOU! M-more…Please!"

Atemu cried out as Yugi thrust into him roughly, striking his prostate. His insistent cries urging the teen on to thrust harder, faster. A light coat of sweat adorned their bodies as the two moved against each other, caught up in the rhythm their bodies demanded.

The sounds of flesh against flesh echoed around the room as the Yugi pounded into his lover, attempting to make him a permanent part of the bed. Atemu wrapped his long legs around the teen's waist, his breath catching in his throat as the action resulted in deeper penetration.

The cuffs were chafing against his wrists as he tugged at them, the need to be free of his bindings almost overpowering. But Atemu didn't take any notice, too caught up in the feeling of his lover's need as it filled him over and over, creating friction and heat deep within his body. The coil of heat in his lower regions winding tighter with each pounding thrust.

"At…Atemu! Gods…so good!" Yugi moaned, thrusting deeply into the tight heat as he bit down on the sensitive part of Atemu's neck, tasting the other's salty skin.

"AH-HA! Aibou…ngh…I-I can't…" Atemu screamed, the assault on his neck adding to the jolts of pain laced pleasure that raced through his body. He couldn't hold out much longer.

"Just…just a little…longer…" Yugi reached between their sweaty bodies to stroke Atemu's neglected arousal. That was all it took for his ruby eyed lover to lose it.

"AIBOU!"

Atemu came with a loud cry, his seed splattering both of their stomachs. The velvety warmth that held Yugi's length tightened considerably, and a few powerful thrusts later the small teen's cry mingled with Atemu's as he emptied his seed deep within his lover's exhausted body.

Panting wildly, his heart beating with an intensity that rivaled a marathon runner's, Yugi pulled his now flaccid member out, cringing when Atemu hissed at the uncomfortable departure. He quickly grabbed the key to the cuffs that was hanging from the knob on the bedside drawer and unlocked the cuffs, freeing Atemu's raw and reddened wrists from their imprisonment.

"Are you…?"

"I'm fine little one…really." Atemu cut him off, wrapping him up in a ferocious hug, their hearts beating in unison as they came down from their high.

They shared a lingering kiss as Atemu rolled them over to pin Yugi's small form underneath him. Soon the petite teen felt the nudge of his lover's gentle fingers at his own entrance. Tired as he was, he couldn't say no. If Atemu needed to reassert his dominance, then who was he to complain?

"Mmmm…it may kill me, but I…"

Atemu looked down into his lover's passion glazed eyes. "If you're tired…"

Yugi silenced his comment with a kiss, pressing back against the questing fingers…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	17. Chapter 17

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey…" A chipper voice sang out from the other side of the door.

'What the hell?'

Atemu gave an indignant groan. Lethargically he buried his face against Yugi's neck, and pulled the boy tighter against him, trying to recapture the fading dream. But it was no use, the image had disappeared. Damn and it was just getting to the good part!

Blinking rapidly to clear his sleep fogged brain; Atemu growled at the persistent, off key singing. The exhausted agent already knew who was on the other side of the hollow barrier. He could tell by the tone. There was only one person who was that cheerful when given permission to aggravate others. Maybe if he didn't answer they would go away and leave him in peace.

No such luck. The lock gave a soft click and the door was forced open by a snickering Marik. Atemu's head shot up from behind Yugi's still sleeping, blanket covered form - giving off the illusion of a single misshapen person with two heads as he glared darkly at the grinning intruder. The blonde's smirk widened as he recognized the pair's compromising position.

"Oh, Atemu…" He called out gleefully. "You have the loveliest singing voice…kekeke, but the performance is over. You are needed downstairs now. You and your singing partner."

"Man…fuck you!" The ruby eyed agent lazily flipped Marik the bird before dragging his sore body out of bed, cover and all, forgetting for a moment that Yugi was totally nude beneath the blanket.

"HEY!"

Yugi cried out as his only source of warmth was ripped away from his bare frame, waking him instantly. Hearing a deep chuckle, he glanced over at the door, immediately noticing Marik's presence. The diminutive teen rushed to cover his private parts with anything he could find, curling into a ball, his face a bright hue of cherry.

"Oh. My. God! Out!"

Marik tripped over his own feet as he broke out into loud guffaws, tumbling into the corridor – a pillow sailing out the door after him just before Atemu slammed it shut, cutting off his view. The blonde picked himself and the pillow up off the floor and continued on down the hallway to wake the other love birds, his amusement echoing behind him and back into the room he just vacated.

Atemu put his back to the door and slid down to the bottom, hissing as his sore rear came into contact with the hard floor. Damn, that still hurt! He could just imagine what his little one was going through at this moment. Speaking of…he glanced up at the bed to find that the boy had disappeared. Where…?

A muffled sound caught his ear and he turned towards the noise, spotting Yugi cowering behind one of the sitting chairs, clutching a second pillow in front of his naked form, his face still a shade of day-glo red.

"He…I didn't…that…oh god!" Yugi put his hand over his face, laughing weakly, completely mortified at being seen in the nude. "Tell me that did not just happen!"

Atemu grinned at the boy's reaction. "It really did."

Yugi groaned in response, tossing the pillow that he had used to cover himself with at his snickering lover. "I told you not to tell me that! It's all your fault anyways!"

"Is not."

The two dissolved into helpless mirth as they argued over whose fault it was. After a few minutes they picked themselves up off the floor and set about to getting dressed. It was a rather hard task when they were both sore and tired, but they got it done in a reasonable amount of time. Finally they managed to hobble out the door, hand in hand, each grinning unrepentantly at the other's minor _problem_.

By the time the duo made it down the stairs it was to find that there was a buffet of delicious smelling food laid out on the coffee table in the living room. And that those already present had decided not to wait for them. Two stomachs grumbled at the delightful aroma that was floating to them from the heavily laden table.

"Grab some grub and snag a chair." Malik pointed with the tip of his fork, before shoveling another load of food into his mouth.

They each grabbed a plate and chose their meal before a slight dilemma came to their attention. Where were they going to sit? Or rather, how were they going to sit – comfortably? Atemu glanced longingly at the couch before deciding to play it safe. He limped stiffly over to one of the high backed chairs and placed his food on the top, preferring to eat standing up. His uncharacteristically rigid stance caused Malik to pause in the act of shoveling food and smirk at him knowingly.

"Kiss my ass." He rolled his eyes and looked elsewhere.

Malik snickered at him before turning back to his towering plate of mashed potatoes, corn, gravy and chicken all piled together in one big lump and taking another gigantic bite.

Yugi followed his lover over to the chair, looking around shyly before dropping to his knees on the carpet and using the lap of the chair to perch his plate on. He was just getting ready to take his first fork full when Bakura and Ryou appeared on the stairs, the larger of the duo soaking wet and out of sorts. The white haired agent glared at Malik as he stood dripping on the carpeted stairs.

"God damn it! What the hell is with your other half, Malik! He's out of control!" He snarled, pointing his finger at the smaller blonde accusingly.

"Aww oo ha' oo oo waff ge' ou of ed" Malik pointed out, his mouth full of food. He swallowed the mouthful and continued. "He wouldn't have poured water on you if you'd 've done as he asked."

Dead silence.

The platinum blonde finally looked up, his fork laden with another massive clump of oddly assorted food to see that everyone's curious gaze was on him. "What'd I say?"

"My question exactly." Atemu replied, shaking his head. He caught Isis's gaze and grinned as she rolled her eyes.

Bakura snorted irritably and stomped down the stairs. He snatched up a plate and piled a little bit of everything onto it. Ryou waited hesitantly on the steps, not quite knowing if he should follow the other in the mood that he was in. When Bakura realized that his ever present shadow was not behind him he stomped back to the stairs and retrieved the boy, settling him and the plate of food on the couch before going back for his own.

Finally - after everyone was busy with their food, Marik made his entrance, whistling innocently as he gathered a plate for himself. Bakura glared darkly at the man, viciously spearing a morsel of chicken with his fork. The taller blonde grinned back at him. The action only served to irritate him even more, his movements bordering on psychotic as he wrestled with another bite of his food.

"Come on boys…Bakura will you quit attempting to maim your chicken? I assure you its quite dead. And don't look at me like that." She met Bakura's icy glare with an even stare. "We have more important matters to attend to. Your pride is the least of our worries right now."

"Wouldn't it be better to wait for Seto before we get into this?" Atemu questioned, snagging a morsel of chicken with his fork. "He may have something to add to the discussion."

"I've already heard from him. They're on their way back right now and I'd like to at least have the beginnings of a plan…"

"Where did they go?" Malik broke in. "I thought they were just outside talking."

Isis only shook her head. "In this weather? They took a trip into town. You know Seto; he needs to distance himself from a problem to be able to think clearly. He assured me that they would be back within the next ten minutes. Look boys, we are at a serious disadvantage here. We know absolutely nothing about this group. And they know everything about us. So any input would be good."

Isis scanned the room, hoping that someone would have an idea. She noticed that both Yugi and Ryou had their heads down, trying not to attract attention. She knew the two teens were listening; just by the way they tilted their heads toward the sound of her voice. But neither of them looked as if they had anything to contribute. And everyone else appeared interested only in their food.

She dropped her head into her hands in defeat, grimacing when the action caused her already aching wrist to throb harder. There had to be some way to determine this group's next move. If they couldn't do that they were as good as dead. All of them. And she was at a loss. It seemed as though the others were as well.

"Who says they know everything about us?" Bakura asked crossly, after swallowing his food.

Isis glanced at her nephew. "They knew where to find each of us. There should have been no way to find that information. Shadi and I were the only ones who had it. I've been over this again and again, and I don't know how they found out."

"From where I sit, they only knew about you. And from there found out about Atemu and maybe Seto. Do you honestly think that if they had even the slightest hint of Ryou they would have sent only two people after us?" Bakura posed the question. "Think about it. They only sent two people. And they were there to kill Jou and whoever was in the house at the time. They weren't expecting anyone else to be there."

"N-no, they would have come after him full force like they did with Yugi." Isis sat back against the couch and stared at the white haired agent with a new respect. Never would she have even thought about it that way.

"And what about Malik? He's still here and breathing - unfortunately – which means they don't know shit about him either. So what does that tell you?" Bakura continued, spearing another bite of chicken.

"Hey!" Malik threw a pea at his nephew's head.

"Stop it!" Isis commanded. "Both of you!"

"I didn't…" Bakura started out of his chair, headed towards Malik with the intention of finishing what he didn't start.

"…It means that the only information they have came straight from someone on this case. They were not privy to information that we either already knew or had no idea of whatsoever." Shadi spoke up from the corner of the couch as he shifted into a sitting position.

"ENOUGH DAMN IT!" Isis's patience was wearing thin. Her words were enough to stop the brawl in progress as both Bakura and Malik broke apart and went back to eating as if nothing had happened.

"Who else was on the case?" Atemu asked, leaning forward against the chair to hear Shadi over the ruckus.

"The only other person I know of…the detective! Oh my god!" Isis covered her mouth in horror. Could her sixth sense have been so wrong?

It was either she trusted someone who had betrayed them, or…

"He has been missing for the past two weeks. It's all over the news." Seto said as he walked calmly into the room, Jou on his heels. "As well as your pictures." He nodded at Atemu, Isis and Shadi in turn. "You're wanted for kidnapping these two." His last nod was for Yugi and Jou.

The brunette strolled casually over to Atemu with his hands in his pockets, a sheepish look on his face. "I owe you an apology."

The ruby eyed agent shook his head. "You owe me nothing. I was the one acting like an ass. For that it is I who should be apologizing…I'm sorry."

"Horse shit. I was so afraid of being left on the outside looking in that I refused to believe what I knew to be true. I've always known, at least a part of me has. But I wanted so badly to belong that I chose to ignore anything that set you apart from me. And I'm sorry."

"Holy shit! An apology and acceptance? You must have really kicked some sense into him!" Bakura looked at Jou with wide eyes. "You're my hero!"

Jou buried his head in his hands and attempted to keep a straight face. The blonde had long ago learned that the sarcastic white haired agent loved to torment Seto. And he knew better than to laugh, but sometimes it was so hard.

"Fuck you asshole." Seto reached out and slapped Bakura upside the head.

Bakura grinned, his bad mood forgotten now that someone else's pride was on the line. "Wait! His sense of humor is still missing! You must not have kicked him hard enough."

At that Jou snorted, and burst into laughter. Malik and Marik followed. Even Seto acknowledged the jibe with what could have been considered a small grin.

"Man, you really are a dick. Knock it off." Atemu teased Bakura with a smirk. He turned back to Seto. "Apology accepted if you accept mine. I truly am sorry."

"I accept yours then. Now let's get down to business." The blue eyed agent took a seat in one of the chairs, immediately pulling a laughing Jou down into his lap. "I take it you were discussing our resident gang of creepies."

"The one and only…" Atemu replied.

"Wait! I want to know what happened while you two were out." Marik piped up from the corner of the room where he was watching the commotion. "That's a hell of an attitude change."

"There's nothing to tell. Just a certain someone who made me realize that even though I was different that I was still a part of the group." Seto turned his penetrating gaze towards the larger platinum blonde.

"I think we were all worried about the same problem." Atemu commented, glancing over at Yugi, who blushed deeply. "And it took someone who wasn't as involved to point that out to us."

"It's about time that everyone realized that. Each and every one of us has a different talent to bring to the table, magical or otherwise. And it's going to take our united effort to take on this group. Now, what did you learn while you were out Seto?" Isis brought the group back to their discussion.

"Your detective is missing and most likely dead by now. And none of the three of you can afford to show your faces in public at the moment. You are public enemy number one. But for some reason they forgot about me." Seto reiterated.

"I never told anyone who I had sent to look after Jou. As far as everyone at work is concerned you are buried up to your eyeballs in paperwork. And we had no contact while you were down there, so no calls could be traced." Shadi explained.

"Damn it!" Atemu snorted, his ruby eyes flashing dangerously. "Fucking idiots! Now how the hell are we supposed to find anything out if the whole country is searching for us?"

"I told you we should have left the bodies on display." Bakura grumbled, giving Seto a pointed stare. "They'd have got the message to leave us the hell alone!"

"I refuse to sink to their level. And the two bodies were found by now anyways. It's been three days. They would have gone looking, when their men didn't return." Seto replied with a shrug. "To do that would have only attracted attention from other areas."

"Like who?" Bakura shot back.

"Like the authorities that are searching for Isis, Shadi and Atemu."

"So how many followers does this cult have?" Malik piped in as he set his spotlessly clean plate off to the side of the table. "And how many of them have any abilities?"

"There were so many people that night – it was like a miniature army. Maybe fifty or so." Atemu growled; clearly pissed off. "And I doubt that was all of them. There wasn't anyone there with any sort of power – or we'd have been found out."

Shadi spoke up. "If I were desperately searching for someone, and I caught wind of where they were – I would send out everyone I had available other than a couple of key people. It's hard to believe that they didn't send their scout though."

"He may have been too far away. Or isn't as powerful as we thought." Malik commented. "Maybe we're giving these guys too much credit. So far they haven't been all that smart. I think there's only a handful that we really need to worry about…"

"…So you think they sent everyone they had. That there are only about fifty or so of them?" Marik questioned. "Cause I would have sent out about half of my men. The others would be waiting in the wings in case something went wrong. I wouldn't want to give everyone up if the bust went bad."

"Yeah, but this isn't a bust." Bakura pointed out. "Most of the people we've run up against are nothing but petty criminals."

"So double the number and assume there are about a hundred or so members in this group…" Atemu started. "They wouldn't want much more than that. It wouldn't be quite the secret little society then. Someone would know something – or slip up and say something. It's human nature."

"Scratch that – ninety eight now. Seto and I each took one out." Bakura grinned evilly as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Hmph! Less than that. Shadi got one, Malik took out two and I killed three of them!" Marik grinned back at Bakura triumphantly.

"This is not a…" Isis started peevishly.

"How many did you get?" The white haired agent interrupted with a vicious smile, turning to Atemu.

"A couple of them…" He stated uncomfortably, not wishing to gather attention for something he despised doing.

"Five." Yugi spoke up quietly. "There were five that didn't leave the cabin."

Atemu turned to his diminutive lover, speaking softly. "Four, Aibou. The fifth one took himself out. And they didn't die. None of them did. They will only be wishing they did for the rest of their lives. The one who lost his leg is the luckiest – he had a chance at a somewhat normal life if they got him help."

"Oh." Yugi grimaced.

The petite teen really didn't like the thought of killing, but to condemn someone to a lifetime of torture and suffering…for some reason that sounded so much worse.

Bakura's eyes widened. "Oh wow…you mean…like Hirutani?"

"Yes. And I would do it again. They were nothing but scum of the earth. It was just punishment for the deeds that they had done." Atemu faced his friend with a fierce look. "But I had no wish to be the one to hand out their sentence."

Bakura was floored. He knew Atemu didn't like to use certain gifts. And that was one of them. His smaller friend had the ability to warp a person's mind to the point where they were consumed by their own nightmares until they either died of fright or were put out of their misery.

Only once in the five times that he had known about had he ever seen someone come out of their vegetative state after Atemu had sentenced them. The former bully still wasn't right, to this day. The last time Bakura had seen him he was a homeless wanderer, preaching on the street corners to the prostitutes about changing their ways.

"Hirutani…" Isis regarded her youngest with a wide eyed stare. "Atemu, that was you?"

Atemu looked away. "I was scared…he wouldn't leave me alone. He's the reason I always came home with bruises and various other injuries. He did it to some of the other, smaller kids too. For lunch money."

Marik, Malik, Jou and Seto watched the discussion, their wide eyes following Isis and Atemu as they recounted the incident.

"I remember…you had just come into our home. It went on for about a year before something happened and he was found by the roadside in a coma...You would never talk about what happened." Isis said as she eyed Atemu evenly.

"I caught him trying to rape a ten year old girl at knife point in the ally behind the store." Atemu continued, staring off into space. "I couldn't let it happen, and he turned on me. There was no way I could have fended him off. I didn't want to admit what I had done…Hell, at the time I couldn't even believe that it was me that had done it."

"Where the hell was I during all of this?" Seto spat, incredulous.

"You were at the military academy. Remember. You were the one who wanted to go." Atemu admitted bitterly.

Seto sat back against the chair heavily. Yes, he could remember that time very well. He would have rather spent his time alone at military school than to believe that he was part of an actual family. Had Atemu really had that bad of a time adjusting? He should have been there. Instead he had gone off and left his little cousin to deal with his problems on his own. The brunette opened his mouth to apologize.

"Don't…Seto, just don't. That's it…I'm finished." Atemu picked up his plate of half eaten food and walked out of the room.

Yugi sat up on his knees. He could sense that Atemu needed some time to himself. But it was so hard not to at least wander into the other room to make sure that he was alright. The small teen was torn in indecision until he heard the other's voice in the back of his mind assuring him that he would be back in a minute. After he had a chance to cool down.

"Let Atemu be, he had his reasons…and we're off topic again." Shadi reminded everyone. "We need to focus."

"…So how did they find out about Yugi in the first place?" Malik questioned. "They know nothing about me and Ryou so this must come from his past. He's the only one their focused on right now."

Isis sat back against the couch, looking thoughtful. "It is someone from Yugi's past, someone he was in physical contact with when he was a child. Someone who has the ability to sense his light."

"And they are obviously rich enough to scout out lights all over the continent. This isn't centered in one small area." Shadi continued. "There are victims from Connecticut all the way down to the Mexican border. Seventy three total – that we know of in this life."

Shadi unrolled an ancient looking, dog eared map with dozens of tiny red and green marks scattered about and placed it on the floor in the middle of the room. "I have a pretty good idea of where this starts. If you look at the map, everything centers around the city of Vale. The red dots signify where the murder victims lived. The green signify where the bodies were found. Yugi, do you remember living in Colorado?"

Yugi looked up from the map to find all eyes in the room centered on him. Shyly he shook his head. He recalled nothing from his early years. And no amount of concentration would yield any trustworthy memories. It was almost as if they were blocked from his memory. His grandfather would be the one to remember. If only he were still here to ask. The petite teen thumbed a stray tear from his eye at the sorrowful thought.

"Your grandfather was a very special man, young one. He's protected you from the time that the Pharaoh was born. In fact, Saimun even gave up his light half to continue to protect you." Isis gazed at the small teen tenderly.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Yugi asked quietly.

"In all our life times, there were only ever two pairs reunited – until now. Akim and Karim were united about a hundred years ago. Siamun and his light half, Sloan, were also brought together once; I think it was last life time. But instead of staying with his light half and returning to his previous form once their respective lives were over - like Karim - he chose to stay with you. I had the privilege of meeting Sloan, but it was well after Siamun had left him. If I would have known how to find you back then, I assure you things would have been different."

"How did he end up with Yugi anyways?" Atemu questioned, walking into the room to study the map along with the others.

"Saimun was an enigma to all of us who served under Pharaoh Atemu. He was said to be Queen Nefrteri's father, but the queen died shortly after the Atemu's birth, so none of us was ever certain. Our young Pharaoh took the throne at the tender age of nine – when his father died… No one talked about those times." Shadi explained solemnly.

Isis continued. "…With Siamun, one could never tell if he was serious, or if he was playing around. A couple of priests even dismissed him as having taken leave of his senses. But to me the old man always seemed to know more than he let on. When we were combining our magic to cast that final spell, his chant was off only slightly from the rest of ours. I think he knew something that the rest of us did not. And that was how he bound himself to the light of Pharaoh Atemu."

'But why would he give up that chance for me? What does any of this have to do with me? I'm not anything special…Atemu's the one with the talent. He's the one who is needed.' Yugi thought to himself.

Atemu turned his head, to look at the small teen with wide eyes, having heard the comment through their link. It was still a common occurrence for one or the other of them to forget that they were linked. This was still new.

"But you are young one. You seem to think that Atemu is more powerful than you. That's not quite the truth…" Isis stated.

Yugi spun his head around to regard the female agent with a wary blush. How had she known what he was thinking…shit! He and Atemu must not be the only people able to catch other's thoughts. Instantly, he remembered their link. Yugi's glance skittered over to Atemu to find the ruby eyed agent watching him intently. He lowered his head. Maybe he should have just spoken aloud for all the privacy he had.

"…Yes, I can read your thoughts, it is quite a common power. Everyone here can do it if they are of a mind. But to correct your earlier assumption, you are more powerful than anyone in this room – magically. Atemu is only more powerful than you on a physical level. The two of you are different from the others, including us. You each have powers well beyond anyone on the mortal plain." Isis explained.

"Wh-why?"

"The Pharaoh was gifted with a small portion of the Gods' powers. You and Atemu are split reincarnation of that Pharaoh. We do not know what you are capable of yet. The two of you have only come into contact with each other within the last couple of months and only bonded fully this afternoon. Neither of you have had the time to explore your full potential."

Yugi felt as if his head were going to explode. Warily he turned to see how Atemu was taking the news. He watched the scarlet eyed agent sit heavily down into one of the chairs, proving that he was not the only one affected by the overload of information.

"So…what do we do?" Atemu asked of Shadi.

"Now we find the seams in their operation and rip them apart. I know part of this starts in the city of Yugi's birth. The other part is political. They have someone embedded in FBI headquarters. We'll have to split up and come at them from both sides. It's unlikely they will expect that move."

"But where to start?" Isis commented. "There are so many places to look and not a lot of time."

"Whoever is traitor at HQ would have to be influential enough to get to you two…either by bribery or other methods." Marik nodded at Shadi and Isis. "…To get the information that they needed. But yet they never came into contact with Malik."

"No one ever sees me at work…outside of Shadi, Isis and Dox. I'm rarely ever there." Malik pointed out. "I'm usually out in the field."

"Well who's always around, sticking their nose where it doesn't belong?" Atemu questioned.

"That could be any one of the many Senators or other various government officials that dig through our files." Isis replied.

"Dox knows who it is. That I'm willing to bet my life on." Shadi spoke up suddenly. "That little weasel was nosing around for information the night we were attacked. And there are a couple of Senators he's always sucking up to."

"He wasn't nosing…he was warning us of what they knew." Isis repeated. "…I know, I know, I don't trust him any further than I can throw him, but he did warn us. We should start with him."

"So that means I actually have to show up to work for a while." Malik said, tapping his finger against his chin. "After all, my well deserved vacation is up in about five days."

"Convenient." Bakura drawled.

"Yep." Malik snickered. "It is isn't it?"

"You're not actually thinking about going back there, are you? It would be easier to kidnap the little worm and make him talk." Marik grinned.

"Why not go back?" Malik shrugged. "There's now way we can just waltz in there and kidnap someone that high up. Besides, no one even knows we're related. I'll just walk in there and be like…where's the boss?"

"I think that is a good idea Malik. You can do some digging around to see who Dox rubs elbows with. But be careful…the man who scouts out the lights will recognize you for what you are." Shadi warned.

"And what the hell are the rest of us going to do? Sit around here with our thumbs up our asses?" Bakura argued. "There has to be something we can do while Malik is suckin' dick at the office."

"Fuck you Bakura!" Malik returned.

"Nah, fuck yourself!"

"Enough, you two!" Isis commanded. "You will not be idle Bakura. Even if you are stuck here. Now that everyone is bonded, you take the next couple of days to train with your partner. Seto will be going on a trip to scout out the city of Vale. I know there's something there. I could feel it when we were out there. At the end of this week, Malik will return to work as he is supposed to. The rest of us…"

Jou shot up out of his chair, immediately protesting. "Then I'm going too!"

"As am I." Marik agreed. "Malik is going nowhere without me!"

"You're not going anywhere." Seto snapped, glaring at his blonde lover.

"The hell I'm…!" Jou faced the brunette.

"Boys!" Isis yelled. "Enough!"

Everyone quieted, looking to Isis and Shadi as they sat back down.

Isis glanced at Jou. "I think it is a good idea for Marik to go with Malik. He'll need to be near if something goes wrong. However I do not think you should follow Seto. Your picture is plastered all over the news. And for some reason they forgot to include Seto in their APB. I don't think it would be wise for the two of you to be seen together."

Jou crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't give a rat's ass! I'm going!"

Seto looked like he was going to object before Shadi stepped in. "I say we let him go. He can dye his hair. No one will recognize him. Seto will need an extra set of eyes and ears while he is out there. Atemu and Bakura are to stay here unless we get a lead."

"I have our way of keeping in contact right here." Seto held up a couple of small items that he had picked up at the nearest cluster of stores. "But I still say Jou stays here, out of harm's way."

"Bullshit! I'm goin'."

"Cell phones! Sweet!" Marik snatched one out of the brunette's hands.

"They're all prepaid. Memorize the number and throw the papers into the fire. I'll get my ticket for tomorrow and be on my way." Seto stood up, tossed the equipment on a chair and walked out of the room, still miffed at Jou's insistence on being a part of this rather dangerous mission.

"Well that settles it." Malik stood and stretched. "We'll get started in the morning. But for now…Bakura, wasn't I just kicking your ass in Mortal Combat?"

The white haired agent raised a brow. "Oh I beg to differ uncle of mine…I believe I was kicking your ass."

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	18. Chapter 18

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"So tell me why we're here again?" Yugi questioned as he poked his head out the door, meeting Atemu's concerned gaze for a brief second

A flash of light at the edge of Yugi's vision caught his attention. The small teen glanced down at the gleaming gold puzzle that he and Atemu had completed the day before. This was supposed to strengthen their link so long as he wore it – regardless of distance. Now, no matter how far apart they were, they would be able to communicate with each other mentally.

According to Isis it was made from a mixture of the Pharaoh's life blood and a variety of precious metals. It was created by the Druid Priests in a desperate, last ditch attempt to find the Pharaoh's light half in the next life. But they never got the chance to use it or any of the other pieces they had made with the remains of their victims for they died brutally at the hands of Egypt's Queen and an army of irate peasants.

Just the thought that he held some of him and Atemu from a former life was enough to send his head spinning. It made the whole story that Isis and Shadi told that much more significant.

Atemu stepped into the room, glancing around curiously, drawing the teen's eyes back to him as he answered the question. "…Hopefully we are here to find the person who's responsible for this mess."

At the word _mess_, the amethyst eyed teen glanced at the untidy floor. He recognized some of the parts and pieces that lay scattered about as stuff that he had had when he was younger. Yugi wrinkled his nose as he brushed some of the toys and odds and ends to the side with his foot, clearing a path. It was awfully cluttered in here.

"So let me get this straight…we're inside my mind right now? And we're looking for…"

"…Something that is hidden, either by you or by someone else." Atemu finished for him. "This was what bothered me the other night, but I was not able to put it together until Isis mentioned it yesterday. You are missing memories. Whatever happened to you, it happened just before you turned six. That's when your grandfather ran…you should remember that at least."

Yugi blinked up at him before turning his attention back to the floor, with a shake of his head, and sweeping some more of the clutter into a pile with his foot. He couldn't get past the state of the room.

"My mind…? I know I'm not the cleanest person, but this is ridiculous! There's stuff scattered everywhere. How are we going to find these…whatever…when we don't even know what we're looking for?"

"Relax Aibou…I am not here to judge you based on what this room looks like." The agent turned his piercing scarlet eyes in the teen's direction. "You're a complicated person. There are a lot of things going on in your life. You're not going to be able to file all of your thoughts away neatly and keep them there. All of this could be just passing thoughts, reflections of lost innocence that you haven't had the time to sort out. But what we're looking for is older…something that you haven't thought of in a while."

Atemu kneeled down to take a peek under the unmade bed. After making a thorough search and seeing nothing, he stood and made his way to the open toy box by the closet door.

By the time the agent had finished rifling through the toy box; Yugi had managed to clear a large path on the floor and was currently perusing a bunch of worn looking, homemade VHS in the corner by the silent television. They were the only objects in the room that were arranged neatly by number.

Gently, he fingered the first one which was marked with a large 6, which was sticking out further than the rest. The others seemed to follow in numerical order all the way up to 17.

"…Something like these?" He reached out and pulled the first one off the shelf.

The agent walked over to where the teen was standing. He lifted the tape out of Yugi's hand, looking at the title. "Why don't we check it out?"

Atemu hit the on button for the VCR and ejected the tape that was inside, replacing it with the one in his hand and turning on the TV. The large image of a growling dog filled the screen.

"GAH!" Yugi jumped back and glared at the television. "I really hated that dog!"

Atemu watched the image of the snarling beast for a moment longer before hitting the pause button and glancing at the tape in his hand. This one was numbered with a 17. Interesting.

"That was the dog you were talking about the other night?"

Yugi nodded solemnly with a shudder.

"Yeah…he used to make my life a living hell when we lived in that first apartment…" Yugi stepped up once the dog was frozen on the screen in mid bark and glanced at the tape the agent held. "What do you think they are?"

Atemu ejected the first one and set the one labeled 17 in the player. A blurry, familiar image filled the screen. The old man's final moments. Quickly he ejected that one as well, before Yugi even had a chance to comprehend what it was.

"They're memories Aibou." Atemu answered. "Memories that were significant to you for one reason or another. They seem to go in order by year. But you're missing 1 through 5. We need to find those…"

The ruby eyed agent replaced the tapes next to the others and they began to search the room for the missing tapes. Now that they knew what they were looking for, this mission didn't seem so hopeless. When the idea of searching through Yugi's mind was first brought up a couple of days ago both of them had been hesitant. To do so might bring out memories of the past that Yugi would be unable to deal with.

But Isis managed to convince them that this was their best chance of finding out who was the leader of the deadly cult. And that Yugi would have to deal with those memories eventually.

Yugi glanced around the room, chewing on a hangnail. "If I were trying to hide something…I would put it…in the closet! Out of sight, out of mind."

The petite teen ran over to the closet door and yanked it open. To his disappointment, it was bare. There was absolutely nothing inside, not even on the shelf. So much for that idea. Now he had no clue where to look. But if he didn't hide them…then who did?

"Aibou, I don't think you were the one to hide those memories. You could have buried them for a long time, covered them up with fake ones - but not hide them completely. Could your grandfather have hidden them, perhaps thinking he was protecting you…?"

Yugi turned to face his other half, a troubled look on his face. "I don't know why he would have done that though. I…"

"Little one, kids say things before they think. Maybe he thought you would be safer if you couldn't say the wrong thing in front of the wrong person. It may have been the only way to keep you safe." Atemu put a gentle hand to his chin, raising his face to meet his eyes. "…there's only one way to find out. Where was his favorite hiding place?"

Yugi chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully as he wracked his brain for the answer. Those memories had to be here somewhere. They had to be. The notion that it was his grandfather who originally hid them hurt him. He almost felt like his grandfather didn't trust him. It was bad enough that most of his life was a lie, but this was inexcusable. It was his life! And his death if he didn't find them. Think! There had to be somewhere that the man was fond of as a hiding place.

"…In Grandpa's room he always had a loose floorboard. There was one in every house. He would hide money and he even had a couple of rings in there at one time, but I think they were lost along the way. He told me about them one day, saying that if something happened to him I needed to know."

At the mention of a loose board, Atemu dropped to his knees and began feeling the floor, searching for a board that was uneven from the others. And he found it in front of the television, almost hidden from view by the edge of the TV stand. Carefully he pried the loose board up. Inside was a hollowed out space just barely large enough to hide VHS tapes.

"I think we have found what we were looking for." Atemu announced as he pulled a dusty bundle out of the hole.

Sure enough, wrapped carefully inside a cloth were the tapes numbered 1 through 5. Taped to the top of the first one was a note written in what appeared to be blood. Atemu peeled the yellowed paper off of the tapes and handed it to Yugi, who had dropped to his knees to get a closer look.

"To my wonderful grandson…" Yugi read aloud. "If you have found these memories then I will assume that I am no longer around and they have found you. I'm sorry. I have prayed nightly to the Gods for your continued safety and happiness. But if you have indeed come looking for these than I'm quite sure that my pleas have been unanswered. My only prayer than is that you have found your darkness. You will need him as well as these memories to defeat the growing evil. Please forgive me. I intended to help you recover these memories as soon as you were out of the reach of this group. For they also contain memories of your parents as well. Know that I love you with all of my heart. And please be careful. Love, Siamun Hitori."

The small teen sat back on his heels with a sniffle. He wiped the moisture out of his eyes. He could picture his grandfather's normally smiling face as he read the words on the note.

Atemu pulled the distraught teen into his arms and held him close, letting him sob out his frustrations. "I know its hard Aibou…I've been there. I'm sorry you have to go through this."

After Yugi acknowledged that he was ready the agent slipped the first tape into the player and they watched as the teen's childhood ran across the screen. It wasn't until an hour and three tapes later that they came across what they were looking for.

They watched dumbstruck as the long forgotten memories rolled across the screen, the atrocities that this group had committed coming back to the small teen with each and every blurred, darkened image. Tears rolled unchecked down Yugi's face. This was why his grandfather had run! This was why his life had been a lie! But it wasn't enough. They were still clueless as to the shadowed man's identity.

"I know that voice…" Atemu mused. He had heard that voice somewhere before. And there was something else nagging at his brain. How did they know of his little one's light?

"I'm so sick of this!" Yugi slapped the eject button as he swallowed around the lump of emotion threatening to clog his throat. "He's ruined my life! He's killed my grandfather…my friends…my parents…he's trying to kill me…and he's trying to kill you! I can't just sit back and take it anymore! I hate that bastard!"

"Aibou!" Atemu couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wrapped the boy back up in his arms and let him cry.

His little one was the last person on earth to wish someone ill. But as he looked deeply into those beautiful amethyst jewels, Atemu realized that the boy was beyond hurt. What this man did was unforgivable. And he would make sure that he paid for it with his life. There was no reason to hurt an innocent boy like his Aibou, to kill his family and friends. Not for power, not for money. No reason at all.

"I promise you…he will be paid back for the wrong that he has done Aibou." Atemu brushed a stray lock of hair out of the teen's face, their eyes connecting. "This I swear…"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"…Ryou?" Isis called out to the unresponsive teen. "Ryou, can you hear me?"

The white haired teen groaned, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. He could barely focus on the faces that were looking down on him. Even though he knew who they were.

"I think we pushed too hard." Bakura commented as he hoisted the half conscious teen into his arms. "He's really out of it. I'm going to put him to bed and let him sleep it off for a while."

"NO!" Ryou shouted as he struggled out of the agent's arms. "I can do this!"

"Easy…this is only your second day. You don't need to accomplish every task I set before you the first time." Isis laid a gentle hand on the teen's shoulder. "It will come to you."

"I-I want to help…please, I can do this." Ryou pleaded with the two of them.

The white haired teen was so sick of being useless. If he had the ability to help the only people who had ever thought to befriend him then he would damn well learn how to use it. Each and every one of this group had helped him out in different ways. He wanted to return the favor.

"Very well. Rest for a few minutes and we will try again." Isis said as she backed away from the white haired duo, giving them some space.

Both nodded and Bakura let the teen's feet touch the floor, guiding him over to the couch. Their exercises were draining - both mentally and physically. They had the mind link down. That was the easy part. Once they knew what to look for it was easy to find it buried within their minds. But the hard part was mastering their other powers.

At least they had started out with something relatively easy yesterday, like healing – Shadi and Marik were extremely grateful to return to their uninjured state – as was Isis. But now it was on to controlling some of the harder talents. Ryou's gift of redirecting people's attention away from him was particularly taxing, since the teen was a total novice when it came to magical gifts.

The white haired teen's objective in these exercises was to slip into a room without notice and snatch something from right underneath Shadi and Isis's noses. The object he was to steal was an odd looking golden ring that Isis had promised to explain as soon as he accomplished his mission. The other pairs had already earned their items, now it was their turn. And so far the slender teen hadn't had much success. He was currently on his seventh try.

"…Okay…I'm going for it." Ryou said as he pushed himself off the couch.

Isis glanced at him in surprise. Who would have known that for someone so fragile looking the boy had the tenacity of a mule. She smiled at him. "Just remember, you need to concentrate on projecting your thoughts onto me."

Ryou nodded as he slipped out of the room. Just concentrate. They can't see you…you don't exist…you're nothing but a figment of imagination. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering on those thoughts. When he opened his eyes, he thought…I am the shadows, I have no substance. You cannot see me.

The teen glanced around the room. Shadi and Isis were involved in conversation. Bakura was nowhere to be seen. He took a hesitant step into the room, still concentrating on projecting his thoughts outward. So far - so good. Another step and he was halfway into to the couch. His target was lying atop the coffee table in plain view of the two agents. He was so close…did they even see him yet? If either of them did, they made no outward showing.

"And that is where you come back into focus young one." Isis exclaimed as she picked the ring up off the table, out of his reach. "The moment you second guess your abilities you lose your cover."

Ryou jumped at the comment, not comprehending at first that she was talking to him. He put his hands to his head, the ache that had begun earlier only seeming to pound even louder in his ears. With a groan he sank to his knees.

"It's time to rest." Bakura materialized beside him to lay a tender hand on his shoulder.

At the gentle touch Ryou cried out, not realizing that his boyfriend was that close to him. "Where…how…?"

"As your darkness I have some of the same gifts as you. I've practiced that one many times before. You are still new to this." Bakura grinned as he pulled the teen into his embrace.

"Mm-hmm. I remember a certain little sneak-thief that used to steal cookies all the time when he was younger." Isis smirked at her nephew. "And other things when he got older. I would say you made good use of that particular talent."

Bakura grinned back, unrepentantly. "I should say so."

A commotion from upstairs caught the group's attention, as Atemu and Yugi flew down the stairs and into the room. Both of their faces were white as sheets.

"Get a hold of Malik…now!" Atemu commanded. "We've been over thinking this…their scout is able to sense light through touch!"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Malik grinned to himself as he opened the door to his cluttered office. Good, he was the first one here. Maybe he could get some work done on top of completing his part of their mission. He certainly wasn't able to get anything done when he and Marik had returned home three days ago.

If it wasn't sex his taller duplicate was after, then it was access to the weird shaped golden rod that Isis had given to him before they left. Marik's interest in the artifact bordered on obsession. He loved to point it out the window at innocent passersby and make them act like complete idiots. Or to unsheathe the sharp blade that was hidden inside and sharpen its length until you could cut a piece of paper with a light nudge.

Malik shook his head and began to clear some of the mess off his desk. He shared the office with three other agents. Two of them were Atemu and Seto. And he had to act as if he had no idea that they had gone AWOL. This was not going to be the easiest task.

About a half an hour into the clearing of the desk and a bald head poked inside the door, a nasally whining voice accompanying it. "You…uh, Malik…my office now!"

Malik glared at the man who was standing just outside the door impatiently tapping his foot. This was why he spent as little time as possible at the office. This man was nothing but a traitor to hard working field agents everywhere. With a growl the platinum blonde stood and made his way out the door, following the man down the hall. Heads turned and many other agents stood in the doorways of their offices as he passed, waiting to see what would happen.

The door behind him shut with a bang and Malik found himself facing an inquisitorial squad made up of a couple of senators and body guards, along with the director and assistant director themselves. So much for beating around the bush!

"What's up?" Malik nodded to the others present as he stood by the door. "And where's the rest of my team. Shouldn't someone have been here by now to fill me in?"

"No one's been in contact with you have they?" The director himself was speaking.

Malik looked up with innocent eyes. "I've been in Aruba for the last two weeks. How the hell is anyone supposed to get a hold of me? I left my cell phone here just for that reason! Now what the hell is going on?"

"Bullshit." One of the body guards coughed.

Malik raised an eyebrow at his arrogance, but remained silent, his attention glued to his superior. Oh how he would love to show that man…

"And you have no idea where Atemu, Isis or Shadi are at the present time?" One of the senators questioned him this time.

Malik turned his gaze towards the one speaking. He had never met this man before. He met the one visible eye with an irritated look. "Not a clue. Why?"

Another senator spoke up, this one with long hair tied back in a queue, his eyes strangely mismatched. "What about Seto…have you heard from him at all?"

Malik gave another one word answer before handing back a question of his own. They continued to batter him down with questions without bothering to answer any of his. They even questioned him on the bounty hunter he brought in on a case by case basis. This went on for an hour or so – both sides feeling the strain of the heated discussion – before the platinum blonde's temper finally surfaced.

"What the fuck is going on?" Malik blew up, turning his attention to Dox. "Why do I feel as if I'm on trial for something that I don't even know about? How about this…you tell me what's going on…or I walk out those doors and start asking questions of my own – official capacity or not! What's it going to be ladies?"

Dox blew a long, aggravated sigh, eyeing Malik with a glare. "Could you at least pretend to show some respect…?"

"…Like you respected me by dragging me in here in front of the whole building for something I wasn't present for…show me some respect and I'll let you earn it back." Malik replied with a snarl.

"Very well." The senator with half of his face hidden behind a curtain of very white hair addressed him with a sneer. "This is an investigation of your team. It seems as though three of your members, possibly four are party to the kidnapping of two young boys. One of whom is a witness to the ritual killings. I'm _sure_ you know nothing about it."

"…Bullshit!" Malik roared in disbelief, pointing a finger at the uppity senator. "What the fuck kind of drugs are you people on? I know better than to think that any member of my team is capable of that so you better explain yourself!"

The platinum blonde slapped his hands on his superior's desk with a glare, ignoring the others in the room, as he waited impatiently for the man's response. He was willing to bet that at least one – if not more – were a part of the cult that was chasing his family. Hopefully one of them was not the scout. But so far no one had challenged his stance, so he was sure that was not the case. He would really have to be on guard for that one.

"I'm afraid so son…" The director pulled a large file off of the desk and sat down in his overstuffed chair, leafing through the pages. "There are documents in this file that point to their guilt. As of right now you are on probation. If anyone attempts to call you…I want to know immediately. That's an order!"

"You _will_ let me look through that file!" The agent hissed.

It was protocol for the director to let the accused at least glance at the evidence against them before dropping the hammer. And he wanted to see what they were up against. How much of their original evidence had been tampered with.

The director gave him a short glare, which Malik shot right back at him. Reluctantly the man handed the folder over for the agent to peruse at his leisure on the condition that he returned it when he was finished. Malik snatched the folder with a grunt and turned his back on the man to flip through the pages. It was taking a rather large effort on his part not to reach out and _touch_ someone. And the whole group seemed to know it.

Dox tried to diffuse the situation. "Malik…I know this is highly irregular but…We have direct orders from congress on this. In fact, Senators Pegasus and Dartz were sent here specifically to oversee this operation…"

"What-fuckin-ever!" Malik growled, thoroughly incensed. "State it as you wish…you're looking for scapegoats. I'll be at my desk if you need me. I have a lot of _work_ to catch up on. Something you don't seem to know _anything_ about!"

The blonde agent turned to leave and found his way was blocked by the two senators and their body guards. Warily he eyed the group. What was their problem?

"I'm sorry our first meeting had to be like this…Malik was it? I've heard some very good things about you. Please, I would hate to think that you view me as an enemy…" The white haired senator held out his hand for Malik to shake.

Grinding his teeth, the agent reached his hand out…Anything to get this asshole to move out of his way.

'Malik! Don't touch anyone!' Marik's distressed voice sounded in his head. 'That's how they scout!'

How in the hell?

"Eat shit!" Malik sneezed, bringing his hand back just short of the handshake to cover his mouth. "Eat shit!" He sneezed again, his hands covered with a spray of saliva.

He sniffled a couple of times and wiped his nose with his hands. And held the hand back out for the senator. Pegasus wrinkled his nose and put his hands behind his back, pretending as if he hadn't been willing to shake the moment before.

"What the hell did you just say?" Dox rose from his desk to question the agent.

Malik looked back innocently. "Say what? I sneezed…" And he sneezed again, powerfully, spraying the senators within his range with spittle.

"Ahh…sorry, I'm allergic to bullshit and there seems to be a lot of it in this room. Now if you'll excuse me." Quickly he left the room, leaving behind six rather confused people as he sneezed a couple more times.

Once he made it to the safety of his office, Malik reopened the link with his darker half. 'Marik…are you still there?"

'I'm here…in fact I'm sitting in a car just across the street. I have the rod, remember? You have no idea how many laws I broke trying to get here! You will carry this with you at all times from here on out!'

"Ah right…" Malik said to himself. Then he sent to Marik 'What was that all about?'

'Atemu just called me.' Came the reply. 'He and Yugi found out how they scout the lights. Through touch.'

'You probably just saved my ass back there! I got dragged into the office the moment they realized I was here. One of the senators tried to shake my hand'

'What! Who is this asshole?'

'I think his name was Pegasus…I'm going to research him. And a Senator Dartz as well.'

'I'll find out where they live…Are you going to stay there knowing that the head scout could be in the building?' There was a pleading note to Marik's mental voice.

'No…I'm going home. That was too close for comfort if he was indeed the scout. No, we'll do this our way.' Malik said as he packed up the pertinent files and walked out of the office.

As he walked out of the building he nodded to those agents he knew. Most of them nodded back, offering understanding and help in that simple gesture. The agents protected their own, at least until guilt was proven. After all, it wasn't the first time that one of their own had taken the fall for a person with high political connections.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"I'm telling you I sensed something!" Dartz hissed to his partner as they walked down the corridor, their guards behind them. "I could feel the presence of another in that room. That boy knows more than he's letting on!"

"I don't doubt you. All I'm saying is that we're running low on time. And I don't want to think that you're jumping at shadows." Pegasus replied evenly. "If I could have just touched him…I would have known!"

"Then you should have shaken his hand."

"Not after that!" Pegasus snorted. "Did you see the snot dripping off his fingers? He'll be around…I'll get another chance."

The foursome rounded the corner just in time to see Malik turn and give them the finger from the other side of the front desk. And then he was gone. The elder senator turned to the lady at the desk with a broad smile.

"Where's Agent Malik going? And when's he coming back?"

The secretary took a moment to look through her notes. "He has an interview scheduled with Mr. Chance LaPort on the museum robbery last month. He said he would be back in late tomorrow, if he finishes with the two interviews he has. If not he will be in on Thursday."

Pegasus turned to Dartz. "Well, we'll have to come back tomorrow and have a little discussion with him. I thought Dox wasn't going to let him out of his sight?"

"Then we need to have a discussion with Dox." Dartz replied as he turned back to the cluster of offices. "He needs to understand the severity of the situation."

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry for the delay. Almost to the end of all of the reposts, so maybe a couple of chapters left. I know when I originally posted this story it had almost 300 reviews and now I doesn't have even 100. Do you guys not like this one? Or am I attracting readers that have already read it? Just a question, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I was just curious. I had thought this story one of the more fun ones to write.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"So this is where Yug used to live…" Jou trailed off as he spied the large manor.

"That's what Isis said." Seto replied, staring at the house.

It wasn't rundown, but it wasn't occupied either. From the tax records they had been able to procure, the house still belonged to the estate of Akim and Iori Hitori. And that all taxes were up to date. Everything went through a lawyer just outside of town. And that was where they had stopped before coming out here.

The lawyer wasn't very helpful at first. Until they stated what they had come for. They had poured out Yugi's story, handing over supporting documents, having to put trust and faith into a friend of the Hitoris that they didn't even know. But it worked. She was able to produce documents that were given to her by Iori and even a set of keys to the house. But that was as far as she was willing to go to help out the weary agent and his new partner, preferring not to get involved in a case that politically complicated.

"Well…are we just going to sit out here and look at the house?" Jou asked as he climbed out of the car.

Seto shook his head and climbed out as well. They made their way in the door and looked around the room. It looked as if nothing had been touched in years. There was dust everywhere. What furniture there was in the room was hidden behind sheets, adding to the eerie quality of the room.

"The first thing we need to find is the fire safe. If they had one it will have all of their documents and such inside." Seto headed for the stairs.

Jou followed. In the stairwell there were out of date pictures of a family of three, two smiling parents and a young child of about five. The blonde's heart went out to his friend. It looked like he had a beautiful family before these people destroyed it.

The first room they came to held nothing of interest except for the knowledge that it was Yugi's bedroom. The second room had the look of a home office. There was a shroud covered desk and a couple of filing cabinets. Seto wasn't sure if there was a computer originally or not – time had erased all traces of what the desk held. After searching through the files for an hour or so, the only information they had come across was that Akim worked for a Senator Pegasus when he was alive.

The blue eyed agent wracked his brain for information about this senator. He couldn't remember hearing the name recently. But that didn't mean anything. He rarely ever paid attention to who was at the top of the totem pole, for they would only be there temporarily anyways. What was the point? He didn't work at the FBI to play suck up to these people.

"Yugi's dad worked for the government?" Jou questioned. "Wow! I never would have imagined. With as much as his grandfather hated anything to do with politics! I mean _hated_!"

Seto glanced up. "Maybe that's why he hated them so virulently. I think I will send this information back to the rest of the group and let them figure it out. Let's keep looking."

It was dark by the time the pair finally left the house. They hadn't found out much by looking through the Hitori's records. Maybe some of the town's older residents could help them out. With that in mind the two headed into town in search of lodging and perhaps a friendly face with a long memory and an itch to tell a story.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Marik sighed loudly, glancing with irritation at his watch in the last of the dying light. "What the hell are we doing here…exactly? You never did explain."

"Shhh! Lower your voice. Do you want that prick to realize we're here?" Malik hissed as he quickly slid a hand over the other's mouth. When Marik licked the appendage he pulled it away with a grimace. "We're going to make that little weasel talk – that's what we're doing. So be quiet!"

"He can't hear us over that noise anyways" The larger blonde snorted. "And exactly how are we…ah, right! My bad."

Marik reached over to fondle the rod that was tucked into the smaller agent's belt loop, grinning madly - his wide, malevolent smirk saying it all.

Malik rolled his eyes at the other's enthusiasm, barely restraining the urge to smack him over the head with a large, heavy object for his obsessive fascination with the unusual artifact that Isis had left them with. He slapped the wandering hand away with a withering glare before returning his attention to the scene before him.

Carefully the platinum blonde peeked up over the top of the concealing hedge and into the house. When was that idiot going to go to bed? Or to the bathroom? Or leave the room for any purpose? Damn, they had been sitting out here in the cold for at least the past four hours. And their target had yet to move his skinny ass off of the chair that he had flopped into the moment he got home. Wasn't he hungry…or thirsty…or something?

Who would have known that the straight laced, uptight little prick was such a video game fanatic? That the moment he walked into his massive home in the sticks he would turn on the XBOX360 and not move a muscle for hours on end? Malik snorted. Definitely not him.

With a heated glare directed at their motionless target the bored and shivering agent resigned himself to the long wait ahead. Both he and Marik were frozen to the bone. At least the shrubs provided some protection from the hard blowing wind. And the smaller blonde was thanking his lucky stars that it hadn't started sleeting like the forecast predicted. That would be nothing short of a catastrophe…

"…He's up!" Marik hissed excitedly before ducking back under the cover of the window ledge.

"About god damn time." Malik replied with an exaggerated shiver. He really hated this weather. When was spring again?

The smaller blonde peeked up over the edge of the sill once again. Sure enough their target had finally turned off the lights and gone to bed. A quick nod towards his partner in crime and the two were on the move. Furtively they made their way around to the small kitchen window that they had noticed earlier when they were casing the place. It was the only window in the house that was left open. Perhaps to ventilate the dwelling of the haze left over by the man's chain smoking habit.

Within minutes both agents were inside the house – their target none the wiser. They allowed their eyes to adjust to the dark before moving further into the spacious dwelling. Maneuvering the tricky, spiral staircase in the inky blackness was a daunting task, but the two managed it with a sneaky, silent flair.

Or they would have, if it weren't for the creaky board at the top of the steps. Marik winced when the board noisily protested his bulk. Was there a chance their target hadn't heard?

"Wh-who's there?" A cautious whisper came from the room to the right.

Nope, no chance at all.

Marik and Malik looked at each other with a noiseless groan. They had hoped to blindfold the man before he got a good look at their faces. But now that was impossible, their target would only come out of the room fighting. It was time to improvise. The smaller blonde grinned at the other, giving his partner only a hint of what he was thinking.

"I am!" Malik called out in a deep, gruff voice before he collapsed into silent laughter.

He could have so much fun with this. Make their target think he was the boogey man come to life or something. Use his little mind trick to make objects dance in the room he was hiding in Maybe it would give the little nerd a heart attack. That would make his day – hell it would make his whole lifetime. To this day he had never been able to take this type of work seriously. Or at least that was what Shadi always told him.

Malik closed his eyes and concentrated on seeing the room through the eyes of their target. And proceeded to try his best to give the man an epileptic fit.

A terrified gasp was heard from behind the door shortly before the sound of something scrambling away from the door. With a smirk Marik blasted the barrier off its hinges and stormed into the darkened room, coming back out after a brief scuffle with the frightened mouse of man held high in his grasp. The assistant director looked petrified in the sliver of moonlight coming from one of the windows as he shivered and shook in the taller blonde's grip.

And, as Malik could barely make out in the shard of brightness, at some point during Marik's charging of the door their captive had peed his pants, the dark stain spreading across the front of his pajama bottoms. To top it off, the only noise he seemed capable of making was a high pitched, squeaking gasp.

The smaller blonde collapsed into loud, maniacal laughter – which only served to frighten the terrified man even further.

"Oh he's so fearsome." Marik shook the man like a pit bull would a rabbit, unearthing another timid cry. "This is the almighty Assistant Director Dox? What a moron! I found his scrawny ass hiding underneath the bed, shaking like a leaf. He'll make armies quake in fear of his awesome wrath."

The taller blonde chuckled heartily at his own joke. He couldn't believe this was the man who Seto and Atemu feared, and Shadi cursed with every breath when he came home from work. This man was a washout, a pushover. He was completely useless. Who had he sucked off for the cushy job of Assistant Director?

Malik glanced at his near twin before taking a long look at their captive. "I got to admit he isn't all that impressive without the power of the director to back him."

"Wh-what do y-you want w-with me…?" A fearful voice pierced the silent shadows.

"Oh…he has a voice now, does he?" Marik grinned evilly. "Well let's just see if we can't put that to use."

Without answering the question the taller blonde carried his petrified victim back down the stairs and into the living room, tossing him roughly into one of the many chairs.

"You move you die." Marik snapped at the man, pushing him into the chair with a heavy hand to his chest.

The larger blonde immobilized their captive with a thought before fading away in the blackness of the room. He would let Malik lead this witness. His smaller lover had been anxious to try out his skills with the use of the rod. He was only here for support.

A light flicked on in the kitchen, momentarily shedding a sliver of brightness into the living room before winking back out again. The captive unable to catch a good look at his tormentor in the brief illumination. Malik crossed into the room not long after, carrying a roll of duct tape.

"Found this in the kitchen. Comes in handy right about now, wouldn't you say?" The smaller agent grinned at his lover.

Marik stepped forward to tape their frightened, compliant victim down to the chair, making sure he was immobile before backing out of sight again. It wasn't needed, but as an extra precaution. And of course for the effect. Which was immediate as their captive started to tremble even harder beneath his hands.

"Most definitely." He quipped.

A click of the light switch and brightness flooded the room.

"You!" Dox gasped in astonishment as he focused on what appeared to be the only other person in the room.

This was the person who had stolen into his house in the dead of night? The person who had scared the living shit out of him? Malik? He had been afraid of this whelp? This little nobody?

"Yeah yeah yeah…me. Can't you say anything a little less cliché…?" Malik sneered as he pulled the strangely shaped rod out from his belt loop. "…Fuck-stick."

It was time to play. He was looking forward to trying out this new toy. Marik had his chance earlier, it was his turn.

"What is the meaning of this? What do you want?" Dox whimpered, straining against the duct tape that held him to the chair.

Anxious thoughts ran through the assistant's head as he eyed his tormentor. No one knew he was in trouble, no one could help. He had to get away from this maniac! If he could just keep the creepy agent talking there might be a chance to get away, but first he had to loosen the tape and so far it was resisting his every effort.

"You will find out shortly." Marik replied with a nasty, freezing glare as he stepped into the man's sight.

The emaciated man flinched back from the death glare Marik was aiming at him, just now realizing there were two of them in the room. Who the hell was that? He was huge! He eyed the newcomer with hesitation. Maybe there was a reason for him to worry. A rather large one.

Malik hooked the edge of the rod underneath his captive's chin cruelly, forcing the man's attention back to him. "I don't think he's the one you need to fear right now. As for what I want…I want the people who killed my brother! I want the people who are after my family. And you are the key to getting what I want!"

"But I don't know what you're talking about!" Dox glanced anxiously between the two blondes, rethinking his tenuous situation. "I don't know your family!"

"Actually you do. You should remember Isis and Shadi pretty well you little shit. After all it was you who ordered their dismissal! Ordered them to be hunted down like animals!" Malik hissed, his eyes flashing furiously.

"I-I…they…I…" Dox started trembling beneath the blonde's rage. "They…kidnapped…"

"HORSE SHIT!" Malik roared.

Dox ducked back in alarm. "Please…please don't hurt me…you don't have to do this…We can…"

"_Don't hurt me _he says…" Marik mocked their captive in a falsetto voice.

Malik chuckled threateningly as he eyed their captive with interest. "Oh don't worry; this'll be pretty painless…for me anyways."

The man shivered in Malik's grasp, attention alternating between him and his darker half. The smaller blonde pushed on the rod, bringing the pig like eyes back to him. If Isis were to be believed this rod would strengthen his powers of mind control. It was time to test it out. Nimbly flipping the rod around in his hand Malik backed away and pointed it at the tightly bound man, closing his eyes and concentrating on the barrier between their minds.

"Wha…?" Dox winced at the pain in his head.

"Who's involved in the cult killing ring?" Malik hissed.

Dark, pig like eyes rolled back into his head as it rolled limply to the side. Stick thin limbs twitched once before the eyes opened and he looked at Malik with an eerily blank stare. His mouth worked a couple of times but no sound came out.

"I don't know." He finally said in a halting, monotone voice.

"What do you mean _you don't know_?" Malik hissed, pushing further into the other's mind, ripping through the easily accessed memories. "Who's involved in the cult killings? Is it Pegasus?"

"I don't…know." Dox repeated, his voice cracking from the strain on his mind.

Frustrated, Malik delved deeper, knowing very well that it would cause their uncooperative captive discomfort. "Yes you do! Now who is he?"

Their captive cried out in pain. "I don't know…I don't know!"

Malik growled low in his throat, pushing harder than he ever had before. A horrific scream tore itself from Dox's throat. But Malik pushed on. There had to be something here. This man had to know. He had to! Bits and pieces of a high-born yet wasted life swam before the smaller blonde's thoughts, but nothing of what he was searching for.

After tearing through every possible memory for what he wanted to know Malik was finally forced to concede that the man, indeed, did not know. With a sigh he let go of most of his control, leaving Dox writhing and sobbing in the chair he was bound to.

Swearing to himself, the smaller blonde paced the length of the room before pointing the rod once again at their twitching captive. If the little shit truly didn't know, then maybe there was a way for him to find out. He was the closest link they had to the two men in question.

The little weasel could do their dirty work for them. Sniff around the suspect senators for even the slightest hint that they were dirty. It had to be them; there was too much corroborating evidence for it not to be. Not only with what he knew, but with what Seto and Jou had dug up on their search as well. Pegasus and Dartz were in this up to their eyeballs! He would bet his life on it!

"…You are to find out what Pegasus and his little butt buddy, Dartz are up to." Malik commanded. "I will be back every night around this time to hear your progress report. You will forget everything about our little conversation until you hear my voice. You will obey me. Do you understand?"

Dox nodded shakily, his voice breathless and raspy. "I understand…and I will obey."

"You think this will work?" Marik asked as he roughly pulled the tape off the quivering, sobbing captive.

"It will." Malik replied with a smirk. "He will obey me."

The instant he was free Dox fell to the floor, twitching limply. Malik checked his condition briefly before following his lover out of the house, disappointed. Damn, this was going to take a lot longer than what he had imagined. Now they needed a place nearby to hang out until the little worm got the information they needed.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"So…how do we get in there to find out?" Jou asked as he surveyed the tall, barbed wire encased metal fence that followed alongside the road they were driving down.

The blonde was surprised at the amount of information they had uncovered in the past two days. Some of it came from documents and files that had been locked away in dusty filing cabinets. Information like the fact that Yugi's father, when he was alive, had worked as an aide for Senator Pegasus.

That fact hadn't seemed all that important at first. But after talking with Isis, they found that Pegasus was the same creep that Malik'd had a run in with just the other day. Odd that the same man would be in the same office for almost twenty years. But yet look no older than he had when he first assumed office. Malik's confrontation sent them back to the Hitori mansion to give another look at the old files that they had dismissed on their first day in town.

But the most important pieces of information came from chatting with some of the friendly people who had made the small mountainside town their home. And that was why they were driving down this deserted stretch of mountain road, following the seemingly impenetrable fence that reached for miles around what was thought to be a top secret government research facility.

Research my ass, the blonde thought with a huff as he eyed the fence with distaste, wondering what really went on behind the razor wire enclosure.

"…We can't." Seto replied after a few moments silence. "But I know someone who can. We'll take another quick look around and head back to the hotel. I want as much information as I can get before I call in Bakura."

They drove the stretch of road once more, noting again where the gate guarded entrance was, as well as the hotel-like structure that they could just barely make out in the distance – built almost into the mountainside. They would need to relay all this data to Bakura before they even attempted what was bound to be a rather dangerous venture.

Seto smirked as he turned off the road, watching in the rearview mirror as the fence faded away in the distance. It was time to call in the big guns. Or in this case, the big thief. Bakura could steal anything. He was a master at hiding in plain sight as he worked to filch whatever had caught his fancy. It didn't matter whether the person who owned the object of his interest had it clutched in their hands or not. Bakura was just that good.

The blue eyed brunette thought back to all the times he had been the butt of Atemu and Bakura's pranks and dares. He had never been able to figure out how the two of them always managed to steal his car keys, his liquor - most of the times right out of his unknowing hands. It wasn't until he finally saw the power they were hiding from him that he finally figured out how they had managed all their childish mischief.

The minute they hit their hotel room Seto busied himself with sketching out what they had seen earlier. For hours the brunette sat at the tiny table, going over and over the layout of the secret government facility. Everything from the length of the razor topped fence to the location of the surveillance cameras he had spotted. Even the location of the building was noted along with the automatic gates.

While his lover was busy writing notes Jou listlessly flipped the channels on the small television as he twirled his dyed black hair around his fingers. But he wasn't watching the screen. His mind was far away, thinking back to the most pertinent piece of information they had gotten. It was from an old man who tended a large flock of sheep and a couple of cows just outside of town.

The man had said that there was always activity at the secret compound. Soldiers bustling about, fancy cars entering and leaving. Which in a way they were expecting that. Even the most secret of secret facilities had human traffic.

But it wasn't that that had caught their interest. It was when the man had mumbled about how the world was going to pot. When Seto haughtily questioned the man as to why he thought that, the man replied with an even stare at the blue eyed agent that he had never known the soldiers of old to be slovenly, unshaven and large of girth. He then went on to talk about how it was a disgrace to hard working military men everywhere that the government let their lifers get in that condition.

Jou remembered the incredulous look he and Seto shared at the seemingly innocent comment. Soldiers weren't fat!

That was the observation that had drawn their attention to the isolated compound. There were other enlightening remarks made by some of the town's residents, but that one was the most revealing. It was what sent the two of them out on the deserted road to do a little recon in the first place before looking up more of the town's older residents for questioning.

After a quick look around, they came back to town to do a little more research on the area in question. Seto called Isis and gave her the information concerning the facility. If anyone were to know about it, it would be her and Shadi for they had highly placed contacts in the CIA as well as the White House itself - and could still count on a few of them even though they were considered to be AWOL. It was a matter of knowing who to trust with what information. Or knowing what database to hack – their specialty.

But a disappointing phone call back an hour and a half later let the blue eyed agent and his amateur partner know that no one in the know knew anything about this supposed research center. The only detail available was that Senator Pegasus requested a grant for the land and its use as a research facility indefinitely. No one knew what actually went on inside the building. It was just another senator's pet project that was buried beneath a sea of paperwork.

That fact combined with what Malik had relayed to Isis about their creepy senator told them that they needed another, closer look at the area. And in order to do that they needed Bakura's expertise and more than likely Atemu's as well – since they wouldn't exactly be welcomed on the premises with open arms.

Jou fidgeted with the remote as he contemplated what would happen should they fail to find out who was responsible for the killings. His little buddy was next in line. And this group was not fooling around. They had APBs out on Atemu, Shadi and Isis. Citizens were warned that the rogue agents were likely armed and dangerous – to call the authorities if they even thought they caught a glimpse of them.

The word to the cops was even worse. They were to shoot to kill. This little tidbit he had found when he wandered into the local police station pretending to be new in town. Their stats were spread across all fifty states. It was an eerie thought.

If he couldn't find out who was behind the plot in time Yugi would be dead. And not peacefully either. A tear slid down his face at the horrific notion. He couldn't imagine a world without his little pal's smiling face. What was wrong with these people?

"Jou?" Seto was sitting beside him on the bed.

The blonde jumped, turning his tear stained gaze towards equally troubled blue eyes. He wiped the tears away and attempted to smile. But it was a failed effort. Suddenly he was swept up into strong arms. He dissolved into tears.

"It will be okay. We have to believe it will." Seto shushed him gently, holding tightly as he sobbed.

"I-I don't…I don't want him to die…he's so…so full of life. So innocent. He wouldn't hurt anyone…ever….Yugi doesn't deserve this." Jou wailed, his tears soaking into the soft shirt.

"I know…We'll get them first. We have to." Seto pulled Jou down onto the bed, kissing the top of his forehead. "I'll call Bakura in the morning. Get his ass out here. It's bedtime, we've done all we can."

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	20. Chapter 20

Yugi stifled a yawn behind his hand. He was so bored. Shooting a sideways glance at Ryou he assumed that the other teen was just as bored as he was. The white haired teen was lounging on the couch watching the dust motes as they floated lazily in the patch of sunlight coming in from the open window.

Two days. Two days that their darker halves had been gone. And there was really nothing to do but sit and wait. They had already had enough of the small selection of three video games that had been left at the house. Isis was at the store replenishing their food supply. And Shadi was on the computer going over the latest information that Seto had sent them.

Lately the small tricolor haired teen had come to think of the enigmatic, quiet agent as a sort of mentor – a father figure almost. The older man worked with the two smaller lights quite frequently over the past couple of weeks, showing them how to control their budding gifts as well as giving them insight into their darker halves.

And although the agent wasn't nearly as animated as Isis, he got the distinct feeling that the man cared for them as much as he did the rest of his adopted family.

"…I hope they made it okay." Ryou commented with a worried sigh. "What did they go out there for?"

Yugi turned around to look at his friend. "Jou said that he and Seto found a secret government place or something that belongs to that Senator that Malik ran into. I guess my dad used to work for this Pegasus or something like that…I really wasn't listening."

The small tricolor haired teen hadn't paid the three way conversation that much attention after hearing about the senator in question. He had been too busy dissecting what Malik had told him and Atemu about this Pegasus. To think that one of his friends had finally got a good look at the person who may have killed his family, the one who was trying to end his life.

Yugi wasn't quite sure how to deal with the information that his pursuer was a flesh and blood person rather than the all-consuming evil he had though. Of course the man consorted with that evil, but he was still only a man.

The petite teen was still stuck on the topic as he lounged around their cozy living room waiting for word from Atemu. A myriad of conflicting emotions bubbled up beneath his calm exterior. Yugi wondered why the man was so determined to end his life. Why the man hadn't been caught? He wondered what he would do if he were to ever have a face to face confrontation with this evil being. Would he have the nerve to end it?

"Has…has Atemu contacted you?" Ryou asked hesitantly, feeling somewhat uneasy about Bakura's blocked link.

Yugi twitched, his disturbing train of thought lost when Ryou voiced his question. "…Yeah. He said that they made it there no problem last night."

Ryou rolled over on the couch to stare at his friend. Atemu had contacted Yugi. But why hadn't Bakura contacted him? Doubts and insecurities invaded his thoughts as he pondered over the troubling fact. If something was wrong Atemu would say. So why hadn't his lover contacted him?

"There is no need for doubts young one." Shadi's voice drifted to them from behind the laptop's case. "You went to bed early last night, if you recall. And by now Bakura will be out doing recon. He will not lower his shields when he is in the field. That would put you in danger."

The quietly spoken comment drew Yugi from his thoughts. He glanced over at his worried friend with a guilty cringe. "Ah! Damn Ryou…I'm sorry. Atemu said to give you the message that Bakura wished you a good night. He couldn't get through last night cause you were already asleep. I forgot…Sorry!"

Ryou smiled gently, realizing that Yugi had other, heavy thoughts on his mind. "It's alright Yugi. You've had a lot to think about lately."

"I'm just worried is all." Yugi replied, gnawing on his lower lip. "Something just feels so off today…so weird. And I don't know what it is. I can't put my finger on it..."

He had the feeling that something was wrong last night too. Just before he went to bed. It was the only reason he had been up long enough to hear Atemu's calling. It was so much more intense then. And it didn't end until he had finally passed out due to exhaustion. Now it was just a nagging foreboding. A feeling he couldn't shake. But he didn't want to worry his lover or his friends with these unexplained feelings of impending doom. The others were already anxious enough as it was.

Shadi sat up, listening intently to the seemingly innocent exchange. So far neither of the boys had mentioned the ability to spiritually sense trouble. But he supposed that it wasn't that farfetched to think that at least one of them had that rather useful gift.

"Do me a favor Yugi." The sound of Shadi's voice brought the attention of both lights to him. "I want you to picture everyone who's a part of our group individually. And tell me when the feeling is strongest. Let's start with Atemu…"

Yugi closed his eyes, concentrating on his lover. The feeling was still there, but it hadn't grown stronger or weaker with the mental image. He shook his head negative.

"Try…Bakura."

Again, another negative shake of the teen's head.

"Marik?"

A slight pause. Another shake.

"Malik?"

This time it took a moment longer for Yugi to answer. But once again he shook his head no. The feeling didn't die down, but it didn't get any stronger.

Shadi named off each member of their clan one by one. But so far nothing had changed. He knew they were all in slight danger just from being so close to the cult. But he also knew to trust that irksome little feeling in the back of his head. And that was what he was trying to teach Yugi. If they had caught this sooner, the boy would already be able to tell who was in trouble. But it had never been mentioned before.

"Isis?"

Yugi's sharp intake of breath told the elder agent all he needed to know. Setting the laptop gently to the side, he jumped off the couch and made his way quickly into the kitchen where the cell phones were kept while they were charging. He plucked one of them from the table and dialed Isis's number.

After a few rings an out of breath voice answered the call. "Shadi…"

He gripped the phone tightly, taking brief notice of the two teens that had wandered into the kitchen. "What happened?"

"I have been run off the road by the most miserable son of a bitch I have ever had the misfortune to meet." Isis grumbled. "I'm out now. But I think the truck is a little worse for wear. I'll be home in a minute or two."

Shadi laughed breathlessly. A minor car accident. That was what had caused Yugi's discomfort. He relayed the information to the two teens, who both breathed deeply at hearing Isis was okay. If that little incident had set off the smaller teen's sixth sense, than they should know the moment anything else were to happen.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The evening before:

"I'll be back in a minute." Malik kissed his boyfriend before hoisting himself through the window and into Dox's kitchen.

"I'll be watching." Marik replied before turning to watch the deserted country scenery.

The taller blonde hated the fact that Malik was putting himself in danger by drawing Dox's attention to him. But his little lover was infinitely more skilled at drawing information out of their unwilling snitch than he could ever think of being. His appearance only intimidated the little asshole until the man lost control of his bladder. It had happened twice now.

So he volunteered to hang around outside. They needed to keep watch anyways. It wouldn't do them or the others any good if they were found out and cornered by local law enforcement or by the creeps in suits that the American public liked to think of as senators and saviors. He paced the rear of the house, watching for anything out of the ordinary as he waited for his lover to emerge…

Marik glanced down at his watch with an impatient sigh. Ten minutes. Did the little weasel finally come across something of value? That would be the only explanation for Malik taking so long inside. The tall blonde twitched, a soft noise from inside the house catching his notice. Malik was coming. He walked toward the window intent on helping his lover back to the ground, with a quick glance back at the tree line.

"There he is!" A shout came from inside the house.

Marik glanced up just as a fiery pain shot through his shoulder. What the hell? He grabbed his useless arm and dropped to his knees with a hoarse cry of pain. Only instincts saved him from being shot again as he dropped to the side behind the back stairs. A bullet whizzed past his ear.

They have Malik! His mind shouted. And he was going to die! Another wild shot glanced off the wood in front of him. Longingly Marik eyed the trees in the distance, adrenaline pounding in his veins. They were trying to kill him! He had to go. Fumbling to his feet, the agent ran a pattern towards the tree line. If he was going to save Malik, then he needed to stay alive himself!

Not a moment after he gave up his hiding spot a man tore out of the house after him, firing as he ran. Dirt and debris kicked up into the large blonde's eyes as another shot hit the ground in front of him. But Marik had a head start on his pursuer and made it into the cover of pines well before the other.

More shots hit the trees as he passed. He darted around the grasping branches and stinging pine needles, searching for a place to ambush his attacker. He couldn't go on for much longer losing blood as he was. Thank the gods the snow had melted in the earlier week's warmth. He wove through the dense thickness of trees trying to find a place suitable to rest and retaliate.

Marik spied a fallen log in the distance. He could hear his tail's furious footsteps behind him as he dashed through the thick trees but a quick glance behind him told the blonde that he was not within the other's vision. Tired and out of breath, Marik used his good arm to pull himself over the top of the log and drop out of sight. He pulled the gun out of its holster, checking the chamber.

The wait began. The thrashing stopped and the sound of someone reloading a gun took its place. Then silence resounded throughout the forest of trees. Marik could hear his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He had to get out of here! He had to save Malik! And that meant being faster than the asshole chasing him.

A twig snapped in the soundlessness and he turned his head in the direction of the noise. The stars twinkled overhead, the moon lending an eerie glow to the quietness. Marik squinted, attempting to see through the gloom. Where was that asshole?

Another twig snapped right behind the log he was using as cover.

"Gotcha asshole!" A voice sounded from above.

A shot sounded in the dark. The muffled thump of a body hitting the ground.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi glanced at Ryou, a plate slipping from his hand to fall harmlessly to the carpet, his eyes comically wide. The look of complete and total fear was mirrored in the white haired teen's tearful expression as he grabbed on to the tricolor haired teen's hand like a lifeline. Something was desperately wrong!

Together they melted back into the shadows of the dining room, watching their surroundings anxiously, unable to utter a sound. But both thinking exactly the same thing…How?

Just seconds later the doors from both sides of the house simultaneously exploded into splinters, causing the two teens to recoil in terror. Sporadic gun shots and Isis's cutoff screams were heard from the direction of the kitchen – where she and Shadi had gone to retrieve their dinner.

The horrified teens crouched, rooted to the spot like frightened rabbits as tears rolled down their faces, hearing the racket as what sounded like a herd of elephants invaded the house. Furniture was tossed over and destroyed as the invaders immediately began searching each room thoroughly for the two teens, not knowing that their prey was in the formal dining room in the middle of the house hiding in the corner overshadowed by the immense china cabinet that they had been attempting to raid not moments earlier.

A particularly close, deafening crash shook Yugi out of his terror induced stupor. They were coming! The smaller teen grabbed Ryou by his hand, urging him towards the silent living room just as a couple of gun toting masked men rushed into the room they were vacating. The men immediately gave chase, frightening the teens even further as they scattered the elegantly set table, throwing chairs aside in their haste to keep sight of their quarry.

The two lights scrambled through the previously destroyed parlor room, through the living room and made a bee-line for the stairs – hoping like hell to make it out of the house and onto the roof, both screaming through the silent links for their darkness' help. But their progress was halted just shy of the steps by a menacing, cloaked figure with white flowing hair that had materialized in the doorway.

The figure reached out, snatching Yugi up by his hair before he could back track. Tears of pain sprung to the teen's eyes as he struggled against the tight grip, kicking and screaming. He fought wildly, only managing to land minor strikes to the cloaked figure as Ryou was ripped away from his grasp and hoisted into the air by another cloaked form.

"ATEMU!" Yugi shrieked mentally as well as out loud, wincing when his tiny fist found purchase unexpectedly.

A frustrated oath was muttered by the cloaked figure just before a large fist shot out and crashed forcefully upside the teen's head, quieting his cries for help as it sent him tumbling into the darkness. A moment later and the white haired teen's screams abruptly silenced as well. The sound of tromping feet and breaking wood continued throughout the house – as the last few men who didn't know the prey was captured continued to search.

Pegasus tossed the unconscious tricolor haired teen over his shoulder and stepped fully into the ruined living area. He casually kicked a piece of debris out of the way before walking up to Dartz, a merry smile dancing on his face.

"I do believe we have won this round."

Dartz nodded back with an evil leer, his burden secure. "How many hours do we have left?"

"Midnight is the deadline - we have plenty of time. They will be pleased. After so many centuries it is time to call Him forth." The white haired leader snickered victoriously as he picked his way around the rest of the debris from the errant gunshots and demolished doors and furniture, heading towards the kitchen.

"We have waited for so long…" Dartz gave a wry smile as he spied something humorous amidst the mess in the kitchen. "Well, well, look what we have here…"

Shadi's stunned, almost unintelligent gaze shot to the two Senators from his seat on the floor beside the refrigerator. His left leg pedaled uselessly against the floor in remembrance of a normal brain function now dead. A small puddle of blood was beginning to form around his figure from a hole in the side of his stomach.

A shocked, questioning look flitted across his normally stoic features as he watched the two give a chuckle at his expense.

"Silly, silly man…" Pegasus proclaimed, hearing the mental question as he lifted his hair to the side to reveal the solid gold false eye. "It doesn't matter if your little pet can sense danger. I have my own ways of countering that. You should have kept a closer watch on the treasure you were supposed to guard. Your little spy wasn't as good as he thought he was."

Shadi's mouth worked a couple of times in attempted protest, a tiny rivulet of black blood dribbling down his chin, but no sound came forth.

Satisfied that their nemesis was no longer a threat, the cloaked duo turned to leave, the two motionless teens slung over their shoulders. One of the men trailing behind the two senators callously kicked Isis's still form as he made his way out of the house, calling out to the men that it was time to go. The remaining invaders filed out of the house – most without even a glance in the fallen agents' direction.

Eventually an eerie silence reigned over the demolished house. The older agent half lay in a pool of his own blood for a time, fading blue eyes wandering over Isis's silent figure remorsefully, wishing with all his might that she could still be counted as among the living. He watched her lifeless form for signs of breathing as blood leaked from a bullet wound in her throat. Every so often he thought he saw her chest rise, but didn't know if it was a figment of his imagination or the honest to god truth.

Shadi didn't know how long he sat there, stunned - totally unable to move so much as a pinky finger. It could have been mere minutes. It could have been hours. The house was in total silence other than sounds of his own making. His left leg twitched continuously, the sole of his foot scuffing against the floor, but he couldn't feel it. That particular ability had vanished from the moment the first unforeseen bullet pierced his spine.

How could this have happened? How could he not have realized that Yugi wouldn't be able to sense someone in the cult leader's presence? If only he would have paid more attention to the warning signs. If only he had…But he had been to wrapped up in Isis's comfort after the near miss of a car accident. How stupid…

A pained groan escaped chapped lips. It hurt…bad! He had felt the bolt of scorching agony long before he heard the shot. Felt the icy pain as it shot up his spine, curling around his brain like the fires of hell. The impact had sent him spinning hard into the fridge as it knocked his legs out from underneath him, almost rendering him unconscious.

After a few moments of agonizing flashbacks and bouts of self-pity the blue eyed Egyptian pulled his scattered thoughts together, grabbing a towel off the handle of the oven. He wrapped a fist in it and held it up to staunch the flow of blood. The faint screeching sound of the sole of his shoe drove icy shards of pain into his already overloaded brain as he scooted away from the blood smeared fridge.

But even what he could feel of searing pain didn't stop him from using his free hand to haul himself across the two foot expanse of floor between him and his wife, leaving a thin smudge of blood in his wake. It seemed like it took forever to cross that small space as he finally looked down on Isis with tears of regret leaking out of his eyes.

"Isis?" He croaked hoarsely, pawing at her shirt with bloody hands, needing her to wake – to look into those beautiful brown eyes one last time. "Isis…honey, come on…please."

The sounds of a car in the drive way caught Shadi's attention not moments before racing footsteps ground the fresh splinters of glass into the damaged floor in one of the front rooms. Someone come back to finish him off? The click of a round being loaded into a chamber was heard in the silence.

Shadi tensed, waiting for the end, his vision narrowing as pin points of light gradually took over his sight. His last thoughts were of the boys he had failed to help. It was all up to the darker halves now. Adrenaline rushing through his system, the bald agent's head dropped onto Isis's chest, refusing to let go of her hand even in the impending darkness.

"SHADI…ISIS?" Marik screeched when he saw the condition of the kitchen – which was by far the worst room in the house.

The large blonde holstered his weapon as he spotted the two older agents lying on the floor amidst the wreckage. He flew over to join them, skidding to a stop on his knees just shy of Isis's prone figure. He took in the bloody streaks on the floor, Shadi's lifeless body and Isis's bruised and bleeding form. Gently he lifted the lady out of Shadi's limp arms, feeling franticly for a pulse.

There! Underneath all the blood and gore there was a faint fluttering. Thank the gods! Marik began to clean Isis's wound so he could judge the severity. As he looked over to grab another piece of paper towel that had landed on the floor in the earlier melee his violet eyes met with concerned, glazed blue.

Marik's breath caught in his throat. Shadi was still alive! It was a miracle! He had given up the older agent as dead, just from the sheer amount of blood surrounding his limp frame. Was there a chance it didn't all belong to him?

Reaching out with his free hand Marik offered the other agent a part of himself as he had done the last time. Shadi shakily grasped the hand, his blue eyes closing briefly as he felt the energy exchange. Then it was over. Somewhat more focused blue eyes met with concerned violet once again as Shadi regained a portion of his strength.

"She's alive…?" Shadi rasped.

"She'll live. It looks like the bullet grazed the side of her neck. Right now my concern is the knot on her forehead. She took quite a hit." Marik replied as he finished cleaning the wound, looking Isis over for more injuries. "I'll be right back. Hang in there, okay?"

Shadi nodded, resting his head on the cool floor. Isis would live! A couple of thankful tears slid down his face.

But what about him? This exchange would tide him over until the lights could be rescued. But he wasn't completely sure he wanted to be healed. Not without the control of his lower body. And not even all three lights powers combined could help that. They could only replenish his energy and help his body to recover the lost blood. Nothing could be done for his lost sensation and movement…Did he really want to live this way?

Marik skidded to a stop at Shadi's feet, shaking the agent from his morose thoughts. In his hands were bandages and peroxide from the bathroom cabinet. He handed Shadi a large tablet and another towel, instructing the Egyptian to take the pill before turning his attention to Isis. Immediately the blonde set to cleaning Isis's wounds, dressing them with the utmost care. As he was applying the last of the tape his patient took a deep breath, coughing painfully before opening her eyes.

"Marik…?" She questioned softly, reaching up to touch the ugly greenish blue welt on the side of the blonde's head.

Marik twitched away from the touch with a hiss as he cut the tape. "I'm fine. You're okay too. But right now I need to deal with Shadi before he loses more than I can help with."

"Shadi…?" Isis turned her deep brown gaze to her husband. "Oh my gods!"

She lurched into a sitting position as she caught sight of the deathly pale blue eyed agent. The movement set off sparks behind her eyelids and she put her hands to her head to stop the room from spinning so violently. Eventually the dizziness passed, leaving her drained of energy and she slumped back to the floor, her hand gripping Shadi's in a death grasp.

Throughout Isis's spell Marik continued to work on her husband. He couldn't afford to wait any longer for the pill to work. Every once in a while the blue eyed agent would flinch or twitch as the needle pierced flesh that still had feeling. But other than that the man said not a word, his breathing ragged and labored as he fought off the once again impending darkness.

On the off chance of distracting Shadi from the pain, Marik explained how he got the massive contusion. Of all the rotten luck in the world that he would get a clean shot off at the man who had cornered him, only to have the barrel of the man's gun crack him on the side of the head as the man fell to the ground - with such force as to knock him out cold for over two hours. But, as he told his captive audience, it could have been worse – the other man could have gotten a shot in first.

Shadi cracked an unstable smile at the explanation. Even Isis had to laugh, but it was a sad, hollow sound in the emptiness of the demolished kitchen. Once she was certain the dizziness had left, and that Marik had done all he could for her husband, Isis climbed to her feet and hobbled out of the room to retrieve the information that Seto had sent. They had to go. There were other lives on the line.

When she arrived back in the kitchen it was to find Marik walking out the door, an unconscious Shadi in his arms. Minutes later the blonde came back into the room to see Isis searching through the remains of what used to be their kitchen table.

Raising a questioning brow, Marik said. "We got to go. Shadi doesn't have much time. And neither do any of the others. We're already a good two hours behind those assholes. And I doubt they're gonna stop and gawk at the scenery."

"I know, I know, but I need to find something." She replied as she dug through the debris.

After a few moments Isis emerged with an insane cry of glee, a smashed cell phone in her grasp.

"You well enough to drive?" Marik questioned.

"I'll drive…you fix this." Isis shoved the half broken phone into Marik's large hands. "We need to get a hold of Seto and the others."

Marik nodded and the two of them ran out the door. It was going to be a close race. And so many lives were on the line. Not only Shadi's, but Yugi, Ryou and Malik's as well. Not to mention the countless innocent civilians should this evil be set loose on the world in general. They tore off down the driveway and away from the house, determined to give it their best shot. Even if it killed them.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	21. Chapter 21

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu sat against the base of the tree, his binoculars trained on the gates across the road. Two days…two days and absolutely no traffic. It was almost as if something was wrong. As if they knew…But they couldn't. There was no way! The foursome had taken every precaution they knew of, including blocking off their links just in case someone here could sense the magic.

'ATEMU!' The shriek sounded in his mind, jerking him out of his dazed surveillance.

Atemu's head shot up, ruby eyes narrowed as he attempted to contact his light through their link. No reply. His troubled gaze sought out Bakura's concentrated one as repeated efforts yielded only silence. A quick glance over to Jou and Seto proved that the cry indeed did not go unnoticed. The two were standing tense, guns cocked, as if waiting for something to happen.

"You heard it too?" Atemu questioned the three.

"Ryou…Yugi!" Bakura snarled. "They're gone!"

"What the hell was that?" Jou questioned at the same time, shivering. "I felt somethin'…somethin' wrong. Like the air shifted."

"They have our little ones." Atemu responded with a hiss. With an assessing glance over at the blue eyed agent, he asked. "Are you one hundred percent positive this is the place? We need to know now! Our time is up!"

Bakura glanced over at the shaken ruby eyed agent, speaking before Seto could clear his thoughts. "This is it…can't you smell it? The scent of evil is everywhere."

"We had better be positive…as of right now we have approximately six hours to make a workable plan, depending on how fast they're driving." Atemu glanced at his watch before he backed away from the cover of trees they were hiding in, keeping his eyes trained on the cameras across the street.

The others followed his lead, stealthily moving out of range of the security before heading into the open field. Damn and they hadn't been able to get into the well protected area to do any scouting yet. All this time sitting here and nothing! The ruby eyed agent had so hoped to be able to take this group out of commission before they got a chance to lay a finger on his little one. What the hell happened to Malik?

Hastily the group made it back to the car they had left a couple of miles back. Atemu mentally ran through the list of what they needed to bring back with them on their return trip as Seto fired the engine, flying down the road towards town. The tricolor haired agent's thoughts were frantic as he scrambled to come up with a workable plan. A couple of pea shooters weren't going to do it this time. Damn they needed more time!

Their first stop was the hotel room. They bolted up to the room where Atemu called up Duke – one of his closest allies in the Bureau, while the others retrieved their belongings. It was a long shot, but they had to do something. After quickly explaining their dire circumstances he requested back up.

By the time he ended the rather awkward conversation with a promise to divulge everything that had gone on during his absence Atemu was immensely relieved to know that none of their old friends had abandoned them – had in fact been fighting for him and the others during their disappearance.

"Back up is on the way." He called as the group hurriedly finished gathering their belongings.

The foursome raced back down to the car. It was time to do a little shopping. Their first stop was the local hardware store. Being as this was a small mountainside community this store was more of a catch-all rather than just the normal home improvement warehouse. They blasted through the doors and headed straight to the back of the store, already knowing where they needed to go.

The first thing Atemu grabbed was a lightweight crossbow. Elegant and deadly, this would do for what he had in mind. The ruby eyed agent hefted the weapon and checked it against his slight frame. Deciding that it would fit he selected a stock of bolts from one of the overly helpful employees seen milling around the store.

Then he bought some more rounds for his guns, knowing that he only needed the bow for silent kills. As accurate as he was with the large, unwieldy weapon, his guns would come in handy at some point during the night.

While Atemu bought out the store of complicated weapons, Bakura went searching for something a little more his style. The white haired agent was cursing his decision to leave his favorite toy back at the house with Ryou. Apparently it hadn't done the boy any good. And he sure could have used its comforting presence now.

Out of the corner of his eye the disgruntled agent saw a sight that made his senses tingle. There, in the corner of one of the display cases was a beautiful hunting knife. Expertly molded, with a large serrated blade, symbols from a different time were engraved into the hilt, almost a message of sorts. He felt as if it was calling to him. Who was he to deny?

"If you talk to any of the Indian people around here, those are supposed to be Shoshone words engraved into it." One of the men wandering the store came up behind Bakura. "Would you like to see it?"

Bakura nodded, entranced. "If you could."

The man took a key from his ring and unlocked the display, plucking the knife out to hand it over to the white haired agent with a shrug. "I don't know exactly what it says, but it has something to do with the soul of the animal that is being hunted and…I think…about it belonging to the person who wields the knife if it's used for the kill. Superstition I guess."

"Really now…" Bakura drawled with a gleam in his eyes as he ran his hand reverently over the engraved hilt. "How much?"

A wide, evil smirk formed on his features. This would work. And the people he would kill with this would forever be bonded to his soul if his reading of the symbols was correct. He would make them pay for the crimes they committed against his light in this life. Over and over again! Oh the fun he would have!

They decided on a price, the white haired agent handing over his money just as Seto and Jou reappeared from the clothing section of the store. Atemu sauntered over to the group with a wicked grin not long after and together they walked out of the store with their new purchases, the employees thinking they were nothing other than a group of out of town hunters.

Isis's frantic phone call to Seto's phone not minutes after they left the parking lot of the hardware store brought the group up to pace on what had happened earlier at the safe house. They now knew that Malik was among those in the hands of the enemy. And that Shadi was not in the best of shape.

But the hastily fixed phone had cut off not long after the blue eyed agent had agreed to find a way to keep the gates open for Isis, Marik and whatever help their friends could gather. Their estimated arrival was four hours away. That meant they had only a couple of hours before their enemy would arrive.

At their next stop the four of them changed into the white camouflage clothing that Jou and Seto had picked out earlier, thoughts of what was happening to Yugi and Ryou weighing heavily on their minds. Both Atemu and Bakura had tried their links repeatedly, but with no success.

By the time they made it back to their hiding spot behind the cluster of trees they were all nervous and fidgety, drinking the warm coffee that Jou had the presence of mind to grab at their last stop while Bakura procured some last minute necessities.

After discarding several ideas before they were even voiced, Atemu pounded the back of his head into the tree behind him. "I am at a loss. Bakura and I can get us around human traffic, but neither of us can get past those doors or the electric fence. We cannot fool electronics. And to announce our presence will make it all the harder to get our little ones out alive."

Bakura sighed audibly, looking each of his friends in the eyes. "Look, I have an idea. I don't know if it will work, but those damn sensors on the gate leave us with no other option if we want to get in there without their knowing…"

"What do you mean you don't know if it will work?" Atemu questioned harshly. "It has to work!"

"I know, I know." Bakura waved an impatient hand. "But the way I see it, the only way without announcing our presence – like blowing up the front gate, and believe me if it comes to it I will do just that – is to sneak in under the cover of plain sight. All of us. The minute the gate opens we walk right in."

Atemu's eyes widened. He now understood the glitch to this plan. It was what had been stopping them all along, besides the lack of traffic to get Bakura and himself inside. Jou and Seto. Neither one of them had any abilities whatsoever.

His scarlet gaze slid over to the two appraisingly. But if they had no abilities, then how was it that they sensed Yugi and Ryou's call earlier. They may not have heard it, but they sensed it all the same, much as a dog would sense an unseen, unheard threat from inside of a locked house.

"So…you're thinking that they may have some residual magic left over from their previous life?" He questioned the white haired agent.

Jou and Seto both glanced over at Bakura with raised eyebrows. The skeptical look on their faces said it all. It was impossible!

"You have to believe in it first." Bakura commented to the wide eyed duo as he nodded. "I'll take care of the rest. Since I don't need to baby-sit Atemu too I should have enough energy to make this happen. But when I tell you to believe than you damn well better do it. You put your heart into the words that you speak. Do you understand?"

Jou nodded anxiously. He just wanted his friends back. And if he had to believe in something he couldn't see than he was going to do it. He had already seen part of what Atemu, Bakura and Marik were capable of. So how hard could this be? Hell he already believed in his new group of friends' extraordinary powers.

"So what do I have to believe in? Seto asked warily.

"You need to believe that you're invisible. That you're nothing but a shadow on the wall…" Bakura replied evenly.

"Wha…?" The blue eyed agent balked. "There's no way in…"

"You will do it!" Bakura snapped. "I said I would take care of the rest, but if you fight me with your thoughts it takes more of my strength than I can afford to lose. Do it or be left behind. And I hate to say it but we need you too."

"Please…" Jou's pleading brown eyes met Seto's shocked blue ones.

Seto dropped his head into his hands. Bakura was right. He could do this. He had to. He had overcome every obstacle in his life; he wasn't going to let a little hocus pocus get the best of him.

"I'll do it, but you better know what you're doing!"

After a quick glance at Jou to make sure that he understood what needed to be done Bakura began outlining their plan. It was time to be ready. They wouldn't get a second chance.

The sun set on the group in a brilliant display of oranges and reds, but no one noticed, none of them cared. An hour later they sat in the dark, silently, tensely watching the gates across the road for signs of activity.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Yugi awoke to someone dragging him out of the car by his hair. He reached up to swat at the hand, only to have the person dragging him give a painful yank on his tender scalp. The action brought tears to the boy's eyes.

"ATEMU!" He cried out again.

This time there was a strong sense of reassurance drifting down the link. Almost as if Atemu wanted him to know that he was there, even if he couldn't say it. The feeling increased and for a moment the distraught teen felt somewhat safe, despite the pain in his head.

But it didn't last long for as soon as the petite teen was dragged into what appeared to be a large, plain brick dwelling built into the side of a humongous mountain, the comforting sensation halted abruptly – with no explanation whatsoever.

Yugi tried several times to catch his footing to lessen the throbbing in his head, but it was no use. The person dragging him so cruelly was too fast for his short legs to keep up with. He was hauled down a long flight of stairs and thrown forcefully into a windowless stone chamber, the door locked tightly behind him, screaming for his darker half the entire way.

The instant the door shut on his last hope of escape the small teen clutched the top of his head, tears squeezing through his closed eyes. No longer did he have the comforting presence of his link with Atemu. It was as if the other had vanished.

After a moment he opened his eyes and looked around the barren room. There was a bucket over in the corner of the room. And a pile of straw. On closer inspection the straw bed had copious amounts of a dark, almost black substance. Yugi backed away cautiously, his eyes darting around the room for any means possible of escape.

His breath caught in his throat as the door opened and three rather large men came into the room, a fourth one stationed by the door.

Yugi eyed the men warily as he backed towards the wall. One had a knife; the second one had a pouch like object with a dripping rubber hose attached to the end. The third one had a length of rope and a rather evil gleam in his beady black eyes.

"Prepare him for the ritual, but do not touch…yet." The fourth man announced with a smirk directly at the tricolor haired teen before closing the door behind him – locking Yugi in with the grinning men…

Ryou heard his friend's screams through the locked door of his cell. The white haired teen slid to the floor sobbing. He couldn't help. He was worthless. Why had Bakura saved him? He couldn't even help his friends!

Frustrated, the gentle teen lashed out, beating his fists helplessly on the wall and screaming, adding to the noise in the hall. He screamed and screamed and kicked and beat his fists into the wall until his rage was spent, his hands bruised and bloodied, his voice hoarse.

Then he collapsed to the ground in a shivering heap. He was next. After they finished with Yugi, he was next. Or Malik was. He clearly saw the unconscious blonde being dragged out of one of the other cars that had driven through the wire topped gates along with the one he had been held in.

What could he do? There had to be something…right?

A calming presence made itself known the minute he left off with his banshee quality shrieks. Ryou sniffled quietly, letting the soothing feeling wash over him. Along with the feeling came an urging to remember what he had trained so hard for…what had he…Ryou sat up with a tearful gasp.

Footsteps sounded outside his door. Trembling, the white haired teen raised his head and began to chant the words in his mind – words that he knew so well, watching the door closely. 'You don't see me…you don't see me…I don't exist…please let this work…you don't see me…'

Seconds ticked by and it almost sounded like the footsteps receded. Then a key clicked inside the lock and the door creaked open. A blonde man with deep facial scars that looked fairly recent walked into the room, muttering to himself. "Check on the sacrifices he says…like I didn't used to run this joint…blah,blah,blah…"

The man muttered as he looked around the clearly empty room. Quickly he walked back to the door and peered out in the hallway, never noticing the white haired teen's presence. Ryou held his breath as the man took one more frightened glance around the room before taking off down the hall, leaving the door wide open.

For a moment the petrified white haired teen couldn't believe his luck. And then he realized that this was his opportunity. He pulled himself off the floor and scampered out of the room, flying down the passageway. After a few minutes the white haired teen's pace slowed to a brisk walk as he realized he was lost.

With no way of knowing where he was or how to get out, Ryou became confused as he wandered the labyrinth of twisted, torch-lit corridors. Yugi's screams had quieted not long after he fled the room and he had nothing to guide him anymore.

Tentatively he reached out with his mind, attempting to contact his darkness. A strong presence enveloped him and he sobbed in relief before hurrying to obey the command. His darker half was coming and he needed to help them find a way inside.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu sighted on one of the men below as they scurried about, his finger on the trigger of the crossbow, cursing impatiently as he sat in the crook of the tree rubbing his injured knee. Damn Jou! If he hadn't tripped and alerted everyone in the compound to their presence they might have been able to get inside the building before anyone was the wiser!

But the blonde had proved to be an amazing klutz not long after they made it inside the gates, tripping over one of the men who had come running to greet the cars as they made their way inside the compound. His howl brought guards from all around, making them have to split up and run for it in order to stay alive. One of the men got a lucky shot off, skimming the side of Atemu's knee just before he made it to the cover of the trees.

Now they had all of what looked to be at least fifty or so men searching the compound for them. The ruby eyed agent rolled his eyes, fuming. Of all times to realize that the blonde was an utter klutz now was not it! They would be lucky enough to make it out of here with their lives, let alone take back their little ones.

If they were lucky the head boss didn't know they were there. But Atemu wasn't counting on it. Before making for the safety of the trees, he had let a well-placed bolt fly straight into their transformer by the gate, taking out the security system, as well as their lights. Now the only illumination was that of the moon – which suited him just fine. It made his targets easier to see against the backdrop of snow.

The irritated agent glanced over to another tree beside the one he was hiding in to give the signal, but Bakura was already on it, aiming for one of the cult members that arrogantly assumed he was well enough hidden behind a shed some yards away from the cluster of trees they were sitting in. Atemu moved back to his sight, then backed off again when another man came running out of the building waving his hands wildly.

Although he was too far away to tell what was said, the second man must have had dire news for his announcement caught the attention of the larger group that was hunting for him and the others – and that group tore off back towards the building, leaving only a handful of men out on the grounds.

With a deadly smirk, Atemu took aim on the first unsuspecting man once more, pulling the trigger to let the arrow fly. A muffled 'mph' was made by his target before the man fell to the ground with an arrow sticking out of his neck. Quickly Atemu racked another bolt and let fly toward the man running to check out his fallen companion.

But he was too late, his arrow missed as the man fell to the ground near the first one, a soundless bullet wound in the center of his head. Where the hell did that come from? A body hit the ground underneath the tree he was sitting in, startling him into dropping the bolt in his hand.

"You missed one." Seto smirked before fading back into the cluster of trees.

Atemu and Bakura glanced at each other, dumbfounded, before climbing out of the trees and meeting Seto and Jou on the ground. Atemu gave a glance at the silenced 357 in the brunette's hands before shaking his head with a wry grin.

The sounds of running feet caught their attention and the foursome scrambled in different directions not too long before a group of men met in the clearing by the trees, apparently too brave – or stupid for their own good – intent on storming the copse of trees. A moment later and four corpses were lying on the ground by the shed, copious amounts of blood flowing from the variety of wounds inflicted.

Atemu glanced over the grounds, looking to catch those who had run before they made it out of range, but apparently not all of their enemy was without brains – for those left had vanished.

Quietly the group wound their way out of their hiding spots to meet by the shed where, after a few moments of struggling Bakura grabbed his knife back from one of the corpses. He wiped it clean on his pants and studied the landscape. They needed to find a way inside the building.

"What gives?" Atemu whispered as he peeked around the corner of the shed to scout for his next victim. A well placed shot pinged off the metal shed and sent him ducking for cover.

Bakura grinned widely and said only one word. "Ryou."

Jou's eyes widened as he understood what the white haired agent was trying to say. "So…you mean we have someone…"

Seto muffled the blonde's comment as he heard a noise coming from the other side of the shed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bakura melt into the shadows from one side, Atemu doing the same as he faded around the corner of the small, rusted structure.

"Stay quiet, stay down." Seto commanded in a hoarse whisper.

Jou nodded, allowing the other to pull him down into a crouched position. Seto held his silenced 357 to the ready, pointed at the corner where he last saw Atemu vanish, listening intently as he thought of how truly crazy his cousin was to court death like that.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	22. Chapter 22

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Another wasted shot pinged off the solid steel double doors, ricocheting right back into the group as they ducked for cover behind the flimsy tin door of the shed they had demolished in their earlier rampage. Disgruntled ruby eyes carefully surveyed the slight amount of damage that the bullet made. This wasn't going to work! How in the hell were they going to get inside?

Atemu made a sound of disgust before closing his eyes in concentration, blocking out most of Seto's frustrated cursing. His hands outstretched as a purplish glow began to illuminate the awed faces of his friends.

_Deep breath…deep breath…thoughts of a nightmare past…_the glow brightened considerably…_visions of a hellish future…_Now he could see the ghostly purplish tint from behind closed eyelids. He knew what awaited his little one should he fail in this task. He would break this barrier. He had to. And then he would break some heads!

_Thoughts and memories of Ushio's smirking visage, of faceless relatives as they sneered at him behind the social workers' backs…of Yugi's innocent beauty…_

This would have to do it…three…two…one!

"Ke-yah!" The tricolor-haired agent hurled the shadow flame at the barrier between him and his little one with all of the finesse of a major league pitcher.

All the others in the small group held their breath, waiting to see if this would work when nothing else had. A loud explosion shook the ground, a thick cloud of smoke distorting their vision for a moment. But when the smoke cleared, it was apparent that the entry was still intact, if not more than a little damaged. The tricolor-haired agent wrapped his hands in his hair and tugged hard as he snarled in aggravation.

"I think you warped it a little." Jou said with a shiver as he observed the bowed and slightly twisted metal.

The blonde winced when his eyes met with Atemu's unholy glower. Jou held his hands up in a gesture of surrender before returning his gaze to the ground. He honestly hadn't meant to piss off the highly unstable agent! It was just an observation.

Another blinding flash of eerie light with an explosion coming close on its heels almost dropped the preoccupied blonde to the ground and he grabbed a hold of the fragile tin door for balance. Another silenced round was fired into the warped corner of the door; again causing no damage whatsoever other than to reflect right back at the group, making them flinch even further behind their feeble protection.

"Knock it off!" Bakura roared. "This isn't doing us any good!"

The white-haired agent growled audibly. Why couldn't they get in? It was almost as if the building itself were protected by a strong magic. But that couldn't be the case – one of them would have been able to sense that. Maybe the obstruction was just _that_ strong.

The others blinked at him in confusion. In the darkness the white-haired agent could make out Atemu's glowing red eyes as they glared at him with a fierceness that he had never before seen when their gazes had met. That look scared the hell out of him.

"Then you tell me how we are going to get inside – or back the fuck off!" Atemu snarled menacingly. "My little one is in there and I will use every fucking weapon at my disposal to get to him!"

Bakura opened his mouth to comment, but before he could utter a word, brilliant white lights and flashing reds and blues blinded him fully. "What the fuck?" He screeched, throwing his hands over his face in an attempt to shield his eyes.

Totally blind, the rest of the group covered their eyes against the intense flashes of color, unsure of what was happening.

A slew of cars raced through the still open gates and skidded to a halt not twenty feet from where the first car stopped, high intensity headlights illuminating the entire field around them. The sounds of slamming doors and pounding feet caught Bakura's attention, and the white-haired agent lowered his hands to gaze almost sightlessly out at those faces he knew – and many that he didn't – as they stared back at him in admiration and awe.

A loud cheer ripped at the silence around them.

Jaws dropped as the group, in general, came to the realization that their support had arrived early – and no small amount of it either. Duke must have spun one hell of a story! There was a veritable army standing before the three AWOL agents, each willing to fight and waiting for the command.

"You made it?" Bakura gaped as he finally sighted a familiar set of jade eyes amongst the crowd.

It had been a long time since either of them had seen the green-eyed playboy. "So, any thought to how we're gonna get inside?"

The emerald-eyed agent turned to Atemu, who looked to all as if he was going to unleash a nuclear attack on the dwelling if he wasn't able to get inside yesterday. "Just give me a moment Atemu…We'll get your boy out."

The scarlet-eyed agent nodded regally and stepped aside, but he refused to remain idle as he searched for hidden flaws along his side of the building.

Duke Devlin, self-proclaimed playboy of the FBI,-eyed the barrier with the intensity of one who is quite used to finding the fatal flaws in an otherwise sound structure. The rest of the group moved off to the side to allow their friend an unrestricted view of their target.

He observed the situation silently as the others waited for his analysis. As carefree and self-centered as the brunette was he was also one of the most brilliant demolition experts the Bureau had ever seen. And for his opinion everyone in their group would hold their breath.

He paced back and forth in front of the doors twice, each time feeling the surface as if testing its strength, looking for any sign of weakness, any idea of where to concentrate their efforts. And then he stopped, arms folded over his chest as he glanced back at Atemu, his expression solemn.

"I have an idea, if you'll…well…you've already done most of the work...but…If we do this, if we help you…what are the odds that someone here will die tonight?" Duke directed his question towards Atemu.

At his friend's unanticipated query Atemu glanced over to see that the group of newcomers was solely focused on his answer. Might as well get it out in the open. Let them know that there was a chance some of them would not be going home tonight.

"If we win…it is possible that you will." He stated seriously. "If we lose…then it is definite."

Duke digested the information with a shrug and a nod; scanning the faces of his men quickly to be sure they understood the gravity of the situation, before marching over to stand in front of Atemu. He reached out and forcefully gathered the smaller agent to him, pinning him with a powerful kiss before breaking away to lay a gentle hand aside his astonished face.

"I have wanted to do that for years…you have no idea how long…" Atemu opened his mouth to object and he murmured. "Hush…I know you're taken and I won't infringe on that bond, but if I'm going to die tonight…I just wanted to know…"

Having said what he needed to say, the brunette strode purposely back towards the cars, passing Bakura on his way. The white-haired agent held his fingers out in the shape of a cross, as if to ward off an evil presence.

"Oh shut it!" Duke said with a smirk. "If I wanted to kiss you I would wait until you're preoccupied." And then he mumbled under his breath. "I'm really not into masochism anyways, even if you do look good enough to eat."

One thin, white eyebrow raised as Bakura heard his friend's grumbled comment. He glanced over at Atemu to see how his cousin was faring after that astonishing announcement. Shaken scarlet eyes clashed with amused russet. Atemu hadn't known. Bakura shook his head with a laugh. Neither of them had known that Duke was gay, or bi, or whatever he was – more than likely the man was just opportunistic.

It didn't matter now anyways.

The slamming of a car door brought the white-haired agent back into the now. And before he even knew what was happening the V8 engine of the old government issued Caprice roared to life. It was the only sign he had of what was to come.

"GET BACK!" He cried before sprinting to the safety of the side of the building.

The group scattered at his words, making way for the large automobile as it flung dirt and dust in a massive cloud, headed straight for the so far impenetrable entryway. A loud crash rent the air and disintegrated a large portion of the side of the building, sending debris flying and causing everyone in the group to quickly take cover behind whatever they could find to avoid being hit by the deadly shrapnel.

The moment the car broke through the barrier, Atemu tore off into the gaping hole where the door used to be located. Gaping at the destruction his mischievous friend had caused, Bakura took a moment to realize that Atemu had already made his way through the carnage. His hot-headed cousin would need his help if he intended to rescue Yugi.

"Come on! We got to go!" He yelled, motioning with his hands.

Jou and Seto bolted through the dust and debris, intent on following Atemu. The others took a moment to admire their fellow agent's handiwork before picking their way through the debris as well. Gunfire and shouts of a battle already in play met their ears as they cleared the rubble.

Bakura was the last to pick his way around the debris, making sure the others had made it safely inside. The sight that met his eyes when he cleared the still present cloud of smoke was one he never wanted to witness again.

The hall looked as if it had at one time been a part of a posh, elite hotel with its curved marble staircase and elegant second story banisters. But lined along both sides of those banisters were men with weapons trained on the first floor, on his friends and family.

Atemu and Duke were pinned down against the doors of the car; the others were unable to advance any further due to the heavy fire power that the other side had managed to acquire. A large gash ran along the side of his cousin's face, droplets of blood casually dripping off his chin. Duke wasn't in any better condition with a bullet wound to his side.

The rest of the men had scattered about the front of the room, using whatever was available as a shield against the massive amount of firepower. Hell, they must have been set upon the before the car even came to a complete stand still. The two agents were surrounded on three sides by men holding various machine guns and pistols.

Bakura took aim at one of the men within his range, intent on taking him out first.

But before the white-haired agent could squeeze off a shot a low rumble caught everyone's attention, shaking the ground and shattering some of the glass relics that had remained standing in the demolished hall as it raised in its intensity. The agents who had rushed to the scene to help their friends froze helplessly, staring questioningly at each other. Bakura glanced around confounded. What the hell was that?

Shadows slithered over the barren ground, searching, testing…

Oh shit! A quick glance over at his cousin confirmed his suspicions. An unearthly shriek came from Atemu's shadow enshrouded form as a massive blast of shadowfire shook the building's foundation in an outward arc, claiming all of the men who had taken up arms against them in an agonizing, fiery death.

Men screamed and shrieked as they scattered, some attempted to outrun the flames, some fell from their second story perches trying to get away from the heat, but none succeeded, and none lived. The sickly greenish-purple glow persisted until the room fell silent, leaving smoldering piles of ash wherever one of the unfortunate had fallen.

For a minute the rest of the group stood stock still, their eyes taking in the destruction that the younger agent had caused, questions forming in their eyes. Atemu took one look at the expressions on their faces before spinning around and taking off down the main hall without waiting to see if his backup was coming. Seto and Jou quickly followed.

"Wh-what the hell was that?" One of the new agents queried, open mouthed.

"'Cause I don't want to say what it looked like to me." Another agent gaped.

"I'll explain later. You just gotta trust me on this." Bakura growled, snapping them all out of their trance like state as he turned to follow Jou and Seto through the debris. "We've got to go!"

As the last of the group entered the damaged building, Marik pulled to a bone jarring stop on the bumper of the furthest car. He and Isis quickly exited the car, both sprinting a couple of paces before coming to a complete halt and staring at each other.

"He'll be…fine…" Isis commented with a despairing look back at the car.

Marik chewed his lip and nodded hesitantly. "Yeah…He has to be. We need to get to Malik and Yugi first. Then we can save him."

After a moment Isis nodded back. "Yeah…save him…"

With one last glance at the car and its unconscious occupant the pair made their way through the carnage in order to help the others…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

The not so quiet patter of flying feet echoed off the stone walls of the torch-lit corridor. But if one were to glance down the long, unevenly lit hall, it would look to be completely vacant. Yet the sound of swiftly running feet continued – coming ever steadily closer. This anomaly confused one guard to no end as he glanced again and again down the empty hallway for the source of the noise that was headed rapidly in his direction.

With a cry of utter terror and disgust, Ryou body-checked the startled guard right off his feet and into the wall before the man had a chance to realize that anyone was even there. The man's head bounced off of one of the rough stones and he hit the cold floor, unmoving. The white-haired teen barely spared the man a fleeting glance before continuing on his way, the sounds of his friend's heart-wrenching screams still ringing in his ears.

Where was he? Gods he didn't even know anymore. How long ago had he started hearing Yugi's terrified screams? They seemed to ricochet down every one of the passageways, ripping at his frayed nerves with their agonizing intensity, seeking him out as if holding him responsible for his friend's plight.

With a sob the petrified teen skidded around the corner only to come to a screeching halt when faced with two more nearly identical passages. Another ear piercing scream echoed down the hall at him, causing him to jump, tears of fright dripping down the sides of his face.

With a frustrated shriek, Ryou dropped to the ground, pulling at his hair with enough force to rip it right out of his head. Frozen in indecision the white-haired teen curled into a ball and let out another blood curdling scream.

His body shimmered back into visibility the moment he hit the ground, his brain unable to remember the thoughts behind his gift. He had been down here for so long… he was so lost…he could hear his friend's tortured screams and cries from somewhere above… he was too late! He couldn't save him, he couldn't save anyone. Worthless!

A small voice in the back of his head prodded at him to continue, to remember – and for a moment the white-haired teen ignored it, curling tighter around himself as he shivered.

'Ryou…come on little one…you can do this.' The voice urged. Ryou shook his head at it, closing his eyes obstinately. 'It's okay to be afraid…come on little one…follow my voice…I can guide you to me…'

'But what if I can't? What if I fail?' Ryou sent back with a choked sob.

After a moment's consideration the voice answered. 'You won't fail! Not if you can honestly say that you gave it your best shot. You're so close my beautiful little one…come on…come to me.'

Ryou gnawed on his lip in indecision for a moment. Another horrifying scream ripped at the silence, making up his mind for him. 'I will try…please…talk to me…help me.'

With Bakura's whispered encouragement the teen unsteadily pushed himself up off the floor, shifting his glance anxiously between the twin corridors before taking a tentative step in the direction of the passageway to the right – the one with only the slightest incline to it. Taking a deep breath, Ryou followed the hall, automatically slipping back into the mantra that would grant him the ability to move about unnoticed.

It wouldn't do for him to run into another guard. The last one surprised him and he acted on instinct. He couldn't have done that again on a bet…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Blue eyes opened hazily, Shadi realizing that he was no longer being jarred about by Marik's rather insane driving habits. He took a hesitant breath and sighed gently. He blinked questioningly. Something wasn't right. What was it that was so wrong with this situation? His mind couldn't grasp the problem. It was on the edge of his thoughts, but for some reason he just couldn't figure it out.

Ever so slowly the blue-eyed Egyptian pushed himself into a sitting position. And then it dawned on him… the pain? It was gone! Had he gone completely numb? After pondering that thought for a minute he decided that he didn't want to know. There were just some things that he was better off not knowing.

Shadi inched his way to the edge of the seat, opening the door with some difficulty. The handle just didn't seem to want to move, almost as if he couldn't get a decent hold on the device. Exasperated, he closed his eyes, concentrating on what he was feeling beneath his fingertips. A click was heard from the stubborn gadget and he threw the door open with more force than he thought himself capable of.

He almost grinned at the small bit of progress he made before reality intruded. So he got the door open…What was he going to do now? It wasn't as if he could just walk in there and join the party…could he? Maneuvering his thought-to-be useless legs outside of the car he pushed off and stood up. Eyes wide with wonder he took a cautious step away from the vehicle, holding on to the door with all his might.

His legs held! Another small step and he cleared the car door. Shadi almost grinned. He had thought he was paralyzed! Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he could walk after all…and the lack of pain was only due to overwhelming shock. Maybe…!

A muffled thump from came from the car behind him, swiftly dropping a dose of reality back onto his shoulders and with a full body shudder the blue-eyed agent decided that he didn't want to see what had just fallen out of the car. He just couldn't. Tears of helplessness blurred his vision, but he continued on, one foot in front of the other, determined to help the boys that he had come to love as his own. He would deal with _that_ later.

He wondered what had taken place earlier as he picked his way through the rubble that lay strewn about the side of the building. And then he wondered why he was even bothering to find the safest route into the building. _Old habits die hard_, he thought with a grimace. Would they even see him as he breezed into the middle of the chaos? Or would he be totally unnoticed by all? Would he be able to say what he needed to those he loved…and be heard?

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu followed the terrified screams of his Aibou, the rest of the group not more than two steps behind. When he got his hands on those people they would die begging for his mercy. He flew past the once grand staircase that would have been at home in any posh hotel had it not been neglected and of ill repair without taking any notice at all.

On down the hall he flew, twice aiming his gun and sending a couple off random guards to meet their maker with a couple of well-placed shots. But he didn't stop to make sure his aim was true. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered other than saving the boy he had come to love. Why couldn't he get through to him?

As he rounded the last corner he skidded to a halt outside what had to be the most amazing display of Celtic symbols and cult paraphernalia he had ever laid eyes on. The massive iron double doors were worked through with some sort of spell aimed at denying those unaccustomed to magic entry. Hesitantly he reached out to touch the barrier, only to receive a shock that threw him across the room and into the wall on the other side.

In one quick motion he was back on his feet, glaring death at this next obstacle. He had to get inside! His little one, his Aibou was being tortured behind those locked and protected barriers.

"Everybody stay back!" He warned before preparing himself mentally. He knew what needed to be done…

Ryou almost sobbed in relief when he realized that he had made it to the top of the steps. He had thought the winding stair case to be never ending! Briefly he murmured a prayer of thanks before pulling back the lock and opening the heavy door, only to have an eerie purplish glow seep into the stair well. He glanced out into the corridor, his eyes widening. With a screech of terror, the white-haired teen dove to the ground, covering his head.

"Ryou!" Bakura shouted, urging his feet into motion as he realized that his cousin was concentrating on his powers and hadn't noticed the white-haired teen. "Atemu stop!"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Atemu!"

Yugi felt the building rumble beneath his feet for a brief moment, but it was no more than a passing thought as the pain once again filled his senses, this time from the newest markings on his chest, joining the pain pulsing up his arms from the symbols etched into his hands.

"Help me!"

He screamed loudly, the cry echoing around the room and drowning out the meaningless chanting. Another, deeper cut was made, winding around his shoulder blade and the small teen flinched back from the knife, only to have another set of hands steady his naked, shivering frame.

"Atemu!"

He was going to die! His screams died off to pathetic whimpers as the man with the knife moved away, allowing two other men to take his place, painting his body with his own blood as they chanted their nonsensical words. And then he was moved, struggling helplessly against his captors, towards the altar in the darkened corner of the immense room.

Shadows covered the entire expanse of the massive room, choking off what little light there was. Whipping winds caught his hair, swirling around his naked form, before darting away once they caught his scent. But the small teen had little chance to think on those anomalies as the men continued to drag him over towards the hulking stone altar that seemed to be the center of the cult's focus.

Yugi dug his feet into the rough stone that made up the floor, attempting – and failing – to wriggle out of their tight hold. He had the feeling that if they actually managed to secure him to the altar, his life was all but forfeit.

"Atemu!" He screamed again. "Someone help me!"

If only he knew where Atemu was. Was he on his way? Was he dead? There was no answer from the silent link. Why couldn't he get through?

"Help me!" He screamed when one of the chanting men approached him with a bowl of foul smelling liquid. "Please…help me…"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Panting and exhausted, Atemu, Bakura – with an unconscious Ryou in his arms - and the others came to a standstill in front of an inky black tapestry covered with elaborately embroidered symbols. Behind this curtain was his little one, he could feel it – even if he couldn't contact him. Unsteadily he reached out to touch the silky fabric, pulling his hand away quickly as some of the symbols reacted to his nearness with an eerie glow.

"It's a trap!" Bakura exclaimed, pointing to the complicated spell illuminated around the blood red symbol in the center of the curtain.

The white-haired agent gently laid his unconscious bundle down to the side of the hall and stepped closer to the tapestry in order to study the spell.

"Fuck this!" Atemu spat, forcing yet another shadow-flame into existence.

The tricolor-haired agent was losing energy fast. He couldn't continue to call upon this power without paying the consequences. This had better be the last obstacle or there was a great chance he wouldn't see his little one ever again. His vision blurred and his footing fumbled as he launched the purplish flame at the weirdly glowing fabric barrier and for a fraction of a second he thought that he had misjudged the distance, that it was going to miss the intended target.

But it managed to catch a corner of the tapestry, which disintegrated in a flash of unnatural purple light. A plethora of screams quickly followed the demise of the tapestry, announcing to all those within the room that company had arrived, as Atemu and the rest of the would-be hero's, guns drawn, stampeded into the room.

The scene that met his eyes was one straight out of a horror movie. Across the room Yugi's naked and bloodied form was being held tight by two burly men as they dragged the kicking and struggling teen towards what appeared to be an altar of sorts. Atemu raised his gun, drawing a bead on one of the men before pulling the trigger.

The man's head exploded into a fine, bloody mist. And not a moment later his partner dropped to the ground as well from a fatal wound to the chest. Yugi dropped to the ground, before scrambling to his feet in an attempt to evade another hand that had reached out to snatch him up, dodging the priest and taking flight for safety. Atemu glanced behind him to see that Isis had somehow managed to sneak up behind him, before running out to meet his little one.

"This is the FBI!" Duke called out in an official voice. "You are under arrest. Put down your weapon…Ah fuck!"

No sooner did the brunette start his speech then the whole scene dissolved into chaos. With a cry, members of the cult rushed at the agents, making use of whatever weapons they had available. Priests, civilians and agents alike joined the fray. On his way towards the center of the room, Atemu caught a glimpse of Bakura as the white-haired agent appeared directly behind one of the priests, running him through with his knife.

"Go…find Malik!" Isis yelled to Bakura and Marik. "We'll keep these guys busy."

With a nod the duo disappeared out the doorway.

The female agent turned around just in time to dodge a knife aimed for her back. She grabbed the bald man's arm in one hand and dropped him to the ground with a well-placed kick to the groin. His arm, bent backwards as he fell, making a loud snapping sound and he howled in pain. Feeling entirely unsympathetic the female agent then crushed his windpipe with another kick, before moving on to the next person.

Gun fire and shouts of pain and victory were heard sporadically above the din. But Atemu's mind was on the boy who was no more than five feet in front of him. If he could only reach his little one before something happened. Together they could do something about this situation. He was sure of it.

Three feet away the ruby-eyed agent reached out to gather the boy into his arms. A vicious wind blew up around him, lifting his body into the air. He flailed for something to grab onto, but there was nothing within his reach. Sailing through the air, his last thought before he hit the wall and collapsed to the ground was 'so close'. And then conscious thought was no more.

"Atemu! NO!" Yugi shrieked as he watched his lover fly through the air only to crumble to the ground after hitting the wall. A bright red trail of blood leaked from the agent's mouth, dripping onto his shirt.

The shivering teen switched directions, heading directly for where Atemu lay. But he had only taken two steps before his hand was once again grabbed by another priest, and he turned to stare straight into a pair of mismatched eyes.

"Your light belongs to us now, little Yugi. Now let's finish this shall we?" Dartz began to drag the helpless teen back towards the altar.

"NO!" He shrieked.

This couldn't be happening! Why was this happening? Why did Atemu have to get caught up in his problems? Why couldn't they just leave him out of this? Was his lover even alive? He couldn't be…he couldn't be dead…could he?

The longer Yugi thought on his lover's plight, the more pissed off he became. A shield of brilliant white light enveloped the diminutive teen as he attempted to snatch his hand away from his current captor. Dartz held tighter in an attempt to force his will on his struggling captive. When he met with a steady resistance the white-haired man turned around to snarl a command, but stopped when he witnessed the dazzling glow surrounding the youth.

A low humming sound filled the air and before the priest could even put the question into thought, his entire body began to jerk and convulse – the sounds of sizzling flesh met his ears and the priest had to question if it was his skin that was making that sound.

The white-haired priest met with the floor and Yugi made tracks towards his unconscious lover. The shadows above hissed and shrieked in denial, the winds picking up within the large room and whipping the teen's hair about in a fury, trying hard to keep him from his goal. He picked up his pace. He had to reach Atemu. He just had to. If they were going to die, they were going to die together…

Pegasus watched from the corner of the room as the teen tore off for the man that he had thought the shadows had killed. This shouldn't have happened. This had been planned all the way down to the smallest detail. This shouldn't have happened! This place should have been impenetrable. But it wasn't, and it did.

The high priest eyed the shadows at the top of the room. They were still weak. They couldn't do much other than control the winds right now, maybe enough for a blast or two of real power – but nothing more than that. If they had been allowed a couple more hours to further the ritual he could have called on them to separate the light and dark halves permanently. But they hadn't had the time.

He carefully eyed the tricolor-haired duo, which by now were within mere feet of each other, despite the gale force winds. He could see signs of the older one starting to wake. That was bad news for him. Maybe it was time to cut his losses and get out of here before something really bad happened.

The high priest turned and, without so much as a good bye, fled the room with his robe flapping behind him.

"Atemu…" Yugi sobbed when he got close enough to see the damage that was caused by the agent's collision with the wall.

It took so much strength for him just to stand upright, let alone move towards the silent body of his love. The winds were getting even worse than they had before and there was an undertone to the moving air, as if something was going to happen. But what he had no idea. He had to reach Atemu.

Ruby eyes opened blearily and Atemu stared up at the boy who was now only feet from him. He gathered what strength he could and crawled towards his little one, intent on wiping the tears from his face. The whole world could go to hell as long as he could see that bright, innocent smile one more time.

A shot rang out from the chaos behind them, and with a wide-eyed look of surprise the startled teen fell to the floor, clutching his side.

"Yugi!" Atemu croaked.

The agent scooted closer to Yugi's trembling form just as the winds switched direction, attempting to tear them from each other again. A low rumble shook the floor beneath them and he reached out to grab the boy's hand to pull Yugi to him. As their fingers made contact a brilliant white light lit up the entire room, encompassing everyone in its intensity.

The small teen felt himself being pulled from reality, string by string. And then the sensation stopped. He drew a breath, opening his eyes to glance down at what looked to be his body, held tightly in Atemu's embrace. A violent hissing caught his attention before he could give it too much thought and his eyes widened as he realized there was a full-fledged demon right in front of his face, puffs of smoke trickled from the thing's nostrils as eerie red eyes stared maniacally into his soul. A shiver trailed down the teen's spine and he began to back away.

"I will not let this happen, little light." The demon sneered as he raised his clawed hands. "I would rather you both die before I allow you to defeat me. I will find you in the next life."

He was powerless and he knew it. The shivering teen stood his ground, waiting for the demon to demolish his existence. But before anything could happen, a different yet familiar voice rang out above the sound of the chaos and the harsh winds.

"You won't get the chance to!"

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Please review?


	23. Chapter 23

And the final chapter of this one as well. Two down, one to go. Thanks for sticking around for the re-posting.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"I...I can't believe he's r-really gone…"

The sound of soft crying was heard in the silence. Then a whispered comment that he was unable to decipher.

"It makes no difference…"

"Isis…Please…you need your rest. We'll make arrangements when you are up to it." A thick, choked voice answered.

"But Malik…I…"

"This isn't healthy…please, just rest. You took as much as the rest of us. We're all drained. I can't believe we're still awake."

"I can't. Not now. I just…I-I can't believe he's…he's…gone…" The comment ended in a clogged sob.

The voices continued to talk quietly, pulling him from his semi-conscious state. What were they talking about? What happened? Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. But he couldn't understand what was being said even if he had the energy to. He couldn't focus. Restlessly, he shifted around into a more comfortable position, trying once more to listen in.

His eyes were so heavy. He couldn't seem to comprehend the nearly whispered conversation that was going on around him. With an nearly silent sigh, he fell back into the welcoming blackness and into his nightmares.

"_You won't get the chance to! I'll see to it that this ends here and now!" A familiar voice snarled in the darkness._

_He glanced up to see who had spoken, but all he could make out in the haze that fell half way between light and shadow was the monster's immense, razor sharp claws as they reached out for him. This was it. This was the end. He closed his eyes, waiting._

"_Tell Atemu and the others…I love them…I always have…"The voice seemed to whisper into his mind._

_It was the only warning he got. Instead of the promised pain, he felt only the whispered touch of a gentle hand as he was given a push back towards where his body still lay, wrapped up in Atemu's arms. His eyes widened as his soul collided with the motionless form and he sucked in a breath as he instantly felt the energy swirling around his and Atemu's now breathing bodies._

_He managed to open his eyes just in time to watch as the ghostly vision of his lover's father was snatched up by the demonic being. It was the last thing he saw before his whole world was consumed by a blinding white light. The last sound he heard was the shrieks of the injured and dying. And for a moment, he had to wonder if it was his voice was among those making the ear piercing, high pitched sounds._

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

"Ack!"

Atemu wrapped his arms around his head, trying to stem the pain that was coursing through his body. Coughing hurt like hell, as the agent found when he woke up, groggy and disoriented. Blearily he peered around the darkened room, taking note of the moving shadows as he groaned his disapproval at the room's constant spinning.

"He's awake!" One of the shadows exclaimed.

"How are you feeling?" Another one asked as they touched his forehead gently.

"Like…like I've been run over by a…Mac truck." The agent croaked hoarsely as he rubbed at his head, but he couldn't resist the comment. "Did anybody happen…to get the plate number?"

A couple of teary chuckles were heard from the blurry shadows as a pair of hands gently untangled his hands from his hair. "Stop that." The command was spoken lovingly as he was pushed back onto the mattress. "You're only going to make it worse."

He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes against the dizziness. "What happened? Why can't I see anything?"

Honestly he would have been a little more worried about it if he were able to think properly. But something was keeping him from being able to string two thoughts together. Atemu reached out with his left hand, feeling along the line that was leading into his other arm.

"It's morphine." One of the shadows answered the unspoken query. "Leave it alone. If it weren't for that you'd be in a hell of a lot more pain than you already are. As for your sight…give it a couple of days. That pea-brain of yours was rattled around pretty badly."

Atemu's eyes widened slightly. He knew that voice!

"Bakura?"

The agent winced at the sound of his own voice. Damn he sounded like he had swallowed a load of gravel! What exactly happened?

"At your service." The shadow chuckled somewhat awkwardly, almost as if trying to be quiet.

'Where is everyone?"

"We're right here, Duke's right behind me. Malik's in the bed to your right. Ryou is sleeping in the chair behind me, curled up with Isis. I thought it might do them both some good. Marik, Jou and Seto went to go get some lunch. And Yugi…"

"Yugi!" Atemu bolted upright, finally remembering what he had been worried about before the pain caught his attention.

His little one had been shot! He had watched him die! There was no life left in his lover's limp frame when he had gotten to him. Oh gods…what was he…?

"Relax!" Bakura pushed him back down onto the bed before guiding his hand over to a lump in the sheets next to him. "He's right here next to you. Just watch his right side, he's got some stitches."

He felt around, taking in the shape of the lump for a minute before it moved slightly and he sluggishly grasped the concept of what his friend was trying to tell him. Gingerly he shifted to pull the bundle into his arms, tears of gratitude streaking down his face as soon as he took in his smaller lover's scent. The small form cuddled into his embrace, breathing a tired sigh.

"But how…?" He croaked.

"I don't know. But he was having a nightmare earlier…something about a demon…and Shadi…I don't know." Bakura's voice broke. "Everything happened so quickly…"

Atemu immediately sensed something very wrong with what his friend was – or wasn't – saying. The weary agent closed his eyes again, reaching out with his free hand; he took hold of Bakura's shaking one.

"What happened…? There's something you're not telling me…"

"I…we…they…It was their decision not to tell you…or the rest of those that were hurt. Honestly, I…" Bakura trailed off.

What had happened? This wasn't like his friend, to shy away from a subject. Whatever it was, it was bad. His eyes started to tear up again.

"Bakura…please…?"

"It's…Shadi…h-he didn'tmakeit." The white haired agent rushed through the words, as if it pained him to even say it. "Oh gods…He didn't…and y-you were hurt and Ryou was knocked out…Isis…I didn't think Malik was gonna…It just happened so fast…"

"Bakura!" Atemu squeezed the trembling hand as the white haired agent tried to pull away. "Calm down…Where's Shadi? I can't understand you."

"He's dead!" The white haired agent snapped, before clapping a hand over his mouth in realization. "Oh gods…I…"

Atemu turned his face from his friend, silently willing him to take back his statement. When that didn't happen, he buried his nose in Yugi's hair and cried softly, knowing that now there would never be a time to say all the things that he had left unsaid. After a few silent moments he heard his white haired friend leave the bedside and wander aimlessly to the other side of the room, leaving him to his miserable thoughts, his silent tears.

It was fine. He didn't feel like talking anyways.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu tossed a handful of dirt into the gaping hole after the coffin had been lowered inside. He closed his eyes against the wave of overwhelming grief and dizziness. He always knew that he would bury his father before he died. In a way things were as they should be. But it was too soon, too much was left unsaid. It shouldn't have been this way.

He slowly made his way to his feet, Yugi by his side to help him stand. It had been such a tough three weeks since he had woken to find that the world as he knew it no longer existed, his sight not quite regaining the total clarity that it once had. And his little one had been there the whole time, always with a helping hand. He squeezed that small hand reassuringly before clearing his voice.

"Dad…" He spoke out so all could hear him. "It was a title that he had always sought…forever defended. A child's birth may make a father…but only true…" his voice broke. "…true love and compassion can make a dad. I was proud for the…limited time we had together…to be able to say that he is my dad." Atemu turned to the coffin, speaking softly. "Goodbye dad…I'll see you next life time."

The distressed agent could hear Isis' strangled cry in the background, and he turned his head to look out over the blurry landscape. He felt another hand slid into his and could only imagine the look on Seto's face as they gripped each other tightly.

'Atemu?' Yugi's tearful voice was crystal clear in his mind. 'That was…it was beautiful.'

'Thank you little one. I meant every word.'

A heavy hand was placed on top of his head, and for a moment Atemu wondered what the hell this was all about. But the hand stayed there for a minute, casually resting, before making its way down his face and neck to his side and drawing him up against Marik's large form. The smaller agent stiffened for a second, not used to being in close contact with the often unstable man.

"You did good kiddo." Marik said through the tears clogging his voice. "He always thought the world of you guys…you, Seto, Bakura, Malik. He'd have done anything for you."

All of a sudden the pressure was gone and Atemu knew that the larger of the platinum blondes had walked away. He shook his head. He needed to get out of this place, with all the people milling around aimlessly, giving out condolences and chatting about the past. He didn't really feel like losing it with everyone around.

"Come on, let's take a walk." Yugi suggested, understanding Atemu's dilemma.

Atemu nodded, allowing the teen to guide him away from the somber group and deeper into the quiet, picturesque little cemetery. Here, among the trees and lush rolling hills lied hundreds of men who had died for their country. He could somewhat make out the white grave markers against the plush green of the well-tended grass as they walked carefully between the rows and briefly wondered about their lives.

It had been the toughest three weeks of his life. And Atemu finally understood why, after his grandfather's death, Yugi would curl up in the corner of the couch when he thought no one was looking and cry silently. The one person who he had gone to with his questions and problems would never again be around to give him advice – or smack him upside the head when he was acting like an idiot. At least they had been able to wait until everyone was well enough to leave the hospital before they had the funeral.

It was still a depressing thought.

And his sight remained only colors and blur. The doctors had told him to give it some time, but there should have been an improvement by now. Something? Anything? How he would so love to be able to look upon Yugi's smiling face once again. To be able to tell his little one that he loved him and watch those beautiful jewels light up with happiness.

Atemu was forever grateful to the teen for allowing him to take the time he needed to set his life back in order. Yugi was always on hand, always ready to lend a shoulder or an encouraging comment, but stuck to the background, letting him adjust to this new way of life without being pushy. And the agent knew that he owed the little one dearly for that.

Since Shadi had died the whole group had moved back in with Isis, wanting to protect the one parental figure they had left. Given that Pegasus was still on the loose, it was best if they stuck together.

Marik and Malik had become, for lack of a better word, Isis' guard dogs. If anyone wanted to speak with the grieving widow, they had to go through the platinum blonde duo first – and there had better be a good enough reason. They kept her safe from those who would prey on wealthy widows before they had the chance to think straight.

Seto and Jou took on the paperwork. Between the two of them they managed the estate and dealt with the insurance that would have most assuredly driven the already distraught lady crazy. So much bullshit and red tape, Atemu didn't understand how they got through it – often hearing their cranky comments late into the night as the two of them sorted out the estate.

Bakura and Ryou took to being Isis' confidents, letting her talk out her fears and dreams without being judgmental. Each and every one of them had to take on roles that they had never dreamed possible before Shadi's passing.

But it was Atemu and Yugi that she clung to, needing the reassurance of being useful. She had mother henned the two of them from the moment they made it out of the hospital. And Atemu knew why she did it. Sometimes it didn't make it any easier, but at least he understood her reasons for treating them as she did.

Life moved on. As much as he had wished it otherwise some days, it did. And he and the others needed to move on as well, as difficult as it was to do. This case had brought him the love of his life. It had brought the same thing to Seto as well. That, he wouldn't change for the world. But it should have ended differently. The thought brought another wave of depression down on him and he sighed.

Then he blinked. When did they stop moving?

"Aibou?" He questioned, turning to his little one.

"Hm?" Yugi looked up. "You were lost in your thoughts…and I kind of wanted to take some time to say thank you to someone I haven't seen in a while."

The small teen knelt down on the grass, tugging Atemu down with him. They sat there for a moment in silence.

"I thought you wanted to talk to someone little one?" Atemu said, not understanding the silence.

"I am." Yugi sniffed. "He can hear me without words. Atemu…meet my grandpa. Grandpa…Atemu."

The tricolor haired agent could have kicked himself for not understanding sooner. They were in a military cemetery, not far from Yugi's home. It stood to reason that his grandfather would have been buried here with full military honors earlier in the year.

"I…I am sorry little one. I didn't realize…It would have been nice to meet him."

Yugi sniffed slightly. "Then say hello. He can hear you, you know. They may not be on this plane any longer, but they had to go somewhere. We are energy. Energy doesn't just disappear. It's a scientific fact."

"I…" Atemu turned towards his smaller lover. "I didn't…" He trailed away before facing the small headstone with a slightly stiff incline of his head. "Hello Mr. Motou, I am glad to have finally met you."

After the taller of the two fell silent, Yugi urged him on. "I'll be right back. Why don't you two get acquainted? Tell him something about yourself."

The teen's footsteps faded away, leaving Atemu to an uncomfortable silence. After a few moments he cleared his throat, awkwardly.

"I feel so stupid right now…damn, sorry, ah, not sure what to say really…ah…look Mr. Motou, I hope you don't mind my being with Yugi. He's everything I've ever wanted in a partner. You raised a fine boy…but I don't need to tell you that. You already knew it. I wish that I had had the chance to meet you in life…"

Yugi wandered far enough away to give his other half a bit of privacy. Atemu had been so high strung and irritable lately. It was understandable, but even so. He didn't like to see the person he loved go through this torment, unable to find the words to let it out. Maybe this would work where nothing else had.

After a few moments of silence the small teen could just barely make out his lover's deep, melodic voice. A small grin flitted across his features. His plan was working. Oh how he so wished that his grandfather could have met Atemu. The grin disappeared. But it was okay. He knew the older man would have approved of his choice.

He stood in the clearing, watching tearfully as his tormented lover conversed with the small, white headstone. Since nothing could bring back his grandfather or Shadi, his one wish was that Atemu regain his sight – his sight, his attitude, his place in the world. It was heartbreaking to see this strong, charismatic man reduced to a shell of his former self and know that there was nothing he could do for him other than remain by his side and wait.

After giving Atemu about ten minutes, Yugi walked back over to the grave, catching the tail end of the one-sided conversation.

"…I hope you don't think me too forward…but if I could ask a favor…Could you watch over…help my dad to…I don't know. Help show him around if he needs it…he's new there and it might take him a while to understand how things work…"

Yugi grinned again, this time a little tearfully. "Sounds like the two of you hit it off rather well."

Atemu startled at the sound of his little one's voice. "Aibou."

Yugi tugged the agent to his feet. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Wait."

The small teen looked back at Atemu expectantly, thinking that he had forgotten to say something. But then he felt strong hands as they glided up his back and he was caught up in a crushing embrace. Tears leaked out the agent's eyes as he held to the one person he loved above anything.

"I love you little one. Never, ever doubt that. I know I've been a pain lately and I'm sorry."

Yugi opened his mouth to comment, but it never made it past his lips as a pair of soft lips descended on his, his body pressed up against the other's as Atemu held him tightly. Eventually the two broke their kiss, Atemu's water logged smile bringing a matching grin to Yugi's face.

Yugi squeezed the agent's hand. "I understand. I love you too, no matter how much of a pain you're being."

The agent chuckled at his response.

"Come on; let's get back to the others before Isis gets worried." Yugi tugged at his lover's hand.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu dropped into his favorite recliner, reaching for the bottle of Vicodin on the table beside him, while Yugi closed the curtains and locked the door. He had one hell of a headache. It came on shortly after their visit to Yugi's grandfather – and it was relentless, piercing his eye sockets with its razor sharp pain. It hadn't been this intense since the day he woke up to find his world a haze of blurry shadows.

As soon as this monster made itself known, he and Yugi made their required excuses and left the post funeral gathering that had been held at a neighboring church. They both knew that Atemu couldn't be caught out in public when his migraines came on. Several times he had been reduced to tears with the intensity of the pain. The others had said that they would make it home as soon as they could get away.

Quickly he ripped the cap off the bottle, dumped out a couple of pills and dry swallowed, groping blindly for the glass that Yugi had set on the table not moments before. After finding it he downed the water, grimacing at the nasty aftertaste of the powdery pills.

He cupped his ears in his hands, pushing inward in an attempt to keep his head from exploding. It hurt that bad. If he had any tears left he would have shed them at this lighting sharp pain. He waited impatiently for the pain to subside. It felt as if someone were stabbing him in the head with a knife.

Or maybe it was more like someone stuck his head inside of a large pan only to bang on the side of it repeatedly. After a few minutes of trying to hold his head together he pulled his hands away from his ears, heedless of the pain. The banging of pans wasn't just in his head – it was coming from the kitchen!

"Yugi?" He croaked, wincing at the bolt of pain that sliced across his head when he spoke.

The banging continued, even louder and more frantic than it had before. What the hell was going on in there? Atemu pushed himself to a standing position, gripping at the armrest of the chair, the pain behind his eyes bearing down even more as he attempted to force them open. He relinquished his death grip on the chair and took a shuffling half step towards the kitchen, his hands out to feel for anything out of place that would try to trip him up.

"Yugi?" He tried again.

And once again, no response. Except for the insistent banging and rattling of the kitchen ware. As he shuffled towards the kitchen a loud, resounding crash echoed through the room, as if someone had broken their entire collection of dinnerware in one motion.

"Atemu! He's got a knife!"

It took a moment for his brain to process the thought and Atemu scrambled into the kitchen as fast as his legs could carry him.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Even before they made it through the door Yugi knew what it was his lover sought. A dark, quiet place in which to wait out the pain. Once he had Atemu settled comfortably into his favorite chair the small teen set about to making the living room into the darkest, quietest place on earth.

Once he was sure that he had done all he could to alleviate the agent's pain he retreated to the kitchen to make himself a cup of hot chocolate. It was the least he deserved for being able to make it through this day without breaking down. And lord knew that was exactly what he wanted to do.

He set a cup on the counter and dragged down one of the pans that hung above the sink. He filled it half way with some milk – no wimpy hot cocoa for him – he wanted the real thing today. The sun may have cooperated for the funeral, but the temperature did no such thing. It was still cold enough to leave his toes tingly feeling from being outside for that extended length of time.

As he turned the burner to medium and set the pan on top of the flame the creaking of a floor board in the dining room caught his attention. He almost jumped at the unexpected sound. It had only been a couple of weeks since his kidnapping and attempted murder and after a moment of feeling foolish Yugi felt he had every right to be jumpy.

The small teen shook his head; it was probably just Atemu returning to his chair after a trip to the bathroom. He palmed a steak knife and silently crept towards the dining room. It didn't hurt to be cautious – just in case.

He made it no further than two steps and the sight that greeted him in the hall to the dining room made his hair stand on end. Pegasus leered at him, posing nonchalantly in the doorway as if he just dropped in for a little chat. His hair was matted against his head, dingy and stringy as if he hadn't washed in days. His rumpled up suit sported stains of unknown origin. The look in his one visible eye anything but sane.

"Hello little Yugi." The high priest sneered quietly. "You're poor little boyfriend is hurting badly isn't he?"

Yugi shook his head, backing away from the insane looking man, the knife in his hands all but forgotten. The instant he took a step the man was all over him, his hands on his neck – intent on strangling the life out of him. Yugi did what anyone in his position would, he flailed his arms, striking out with the knife and slicing a deep gouge in the man's shoulder.

Pegasus hissed as he stumbled backwards, dislodging the knife from Yugi's hand in the process, one arm coming up to his wounded arm, as if in disbelief, before launching another assault. It gave Yugi a chance to reach behind him for another weapon.

This time it happened to be the pan on the stove. Gripping the pan tightly he smacked the man upside the head with it, spilling the milk and knocking his attacker back against the counter. Arms in the air, Pegasus took out half of the pans that hung from the rack in his fall. High priest and pans fell to the floor with a clatter. This time Yugi charged, giving the intruder another whack upside the head before he could find a suitable shield.

Pegasus managed to block the second attack with a rather large frying pan. And it became an all-out war. Each side taking wild swings as they fought to disarm the other one.

Yugi had had quite enough of someone fucking with his life. The instant Pegasus came at him with the intent to kill it flipped a switch inside of his brain. The one thought that rang clear was that this was the man who had tried to kill Atemu, tried to kill him. And now he was going to try again. And with Atemu incapacitated it was up to him to protect them both. But he had no idea what to do. Braining the man with a pan until he was no longer breathing was beginning to have a certain appeal though.

With an inhuman snarl he swung the pan wildly, glancing a hard blow off the man's injured shoulder and knocking him into the china cabinet in the corner. One of the doors popped open, showering Pegasus in heavy porcelain. The noise was deafening.

It looked like the man was down, and Yugi lowered his weapon for a moment, heaving an exhausted breath. But a moment was all he got when the wild man came up swinging and he raised the pan like a shield. This time, what collided with the pan sounded, in no way, shape, or form, like another pan. Yugi glanced at the wild look in the man's one visible eye.

And then his sight trailed to the wicked looking butcher knife held tightly in shaking hands.

"You've fucked my life up quite enough little boy. I think it's time we end this game." Pegasus struck out with the knife again.

Fucked up his life? Yugi almost snorted. Just then his greatest fear became known. He could hear Atemu's uncertain steps as the agent made his way to the kitchen. Oh shit!

"Atemu! He's got a knife!" Yugi screamed as he threw an errant dish at the man's head – distracting him.

Atemu made it to the kitchen just in time to hear Pegasus as he chuckled maniacally. "Aww, look who's come to join the party. And here we thought he was too sick to come."

Instantly the hairs on the back of Atemu's neck were standing at attention. "Fuck you Pegasus." He croaked as he snatched a knife out of one of the drawers. It was a good thing he knew where most things were without having to search very hard for them. The pain was almost overwhelming, but he couldn't just sit back and watch – or listen – as this man killed his Yugi. They had to take this maniac down.

Yugi realized what his lover was attempting to do and he made a halfhearted charge at the intruder in order to gain the agent a little more time to find a weapon.

Pegasus rallied back, taking the teen's legs out from under him, the pan skidding across the floor. As Yugi fell to the floor the man chuckled insanely, thinking he had finally won. Yugi raised his hands over his head in an effort to block the blow that he knew was coming. As the tip of the knife descended, a muffled gasp was heard from Pegasus' lips. The knife that had seemed so threatening earlier clattered to the floor harmlessly, the high priest falling not far from where Yugi laid, his eyes already glazing over in death.

Atemu dropped to the ground half conscious, the pain finally overcoming his senses. He didn't even know if Yugi was dead or alive. Had he reacted in time? For a moment there it was almost as if he had his sight back. He could focus on that glaringly hideous crimson suit that the attacker had worn. Could see it as clear as day. Maybe it was only a wish, but he only had that split second to decide whether or not to rely on the information that his eyes were feeding his brain.

And he took the chance that he was seeing it correctly, grabbing the hilt of the knife firmly and launching it at his target. All he could make out before the shadows took hold of him was that he had hit his mark.

Yugi pulled himself to his feet, nudging the dead man before kicking the man's weapon out of reach. He knew Pegasus was quite dead. The living had never mastered that blank, cold stare. Once he was fairly sure that his enemy wasn't going to rise from the grave and attack him again, the trembling teen made his way over to where Atemu had fallen.

He cradled the agent's body close to his, looking the other over for injuries as he came down off the adrenaline high.

"Atemu?" He whispered softly.

Nnngh…hurts…bad…" Atemu panted, his eyes tightly closed.

Yugi began to look harder for unseen injuries. What if Pegasus had gotten to him somehow? "Where? Did he get you?"

"N-no…head…hurts." The agent replied.

"Shhh…rest now. Let the drugs work." Yugi whispered tearfully as he began to massage Atemu's soft hair.

Ten minutes later and the two were still in the same position, lying on the kitchen floor not far from their attacker's lifeless body. Yugi could tell that the Vicodin was starting to take effect. His lover's breathing had slowed and the tension was beginning to leave his body. When Atemu's startling ruby eyes began to show themselves Yugi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey sexy…how ya feeling?" He asked with a grin.

Atemu smiled up at him, looking him in the eye. "Better. Much, much better. Gods above little one, I adore your smile. You need to do that more often."

"I promise I will as soon as you start feeling better." Yugi tweaked his nose, watching as Atemu scrunched up his face. But then a thought hit him. "Hey…how did you know I was smiling?"

"I can see your beautiful face, clear as day little one." Atemu grinned back, returning the favor and tweaking Yugi's nose.

The teen sat there open mouthed until Atemu took pity on him and tipped it shut. "You might want to shut that, you'll catch flies."

"A-and you're not surprised about this? I thought…that you…when…?"

The agent pulled Yugi down to him, capturing his lips in an audacious kiss. When they broke apart he continued to place small butterfly kisses along the stunned teen's jaw line.

"I should be…little one…" He said as he continued to kiss up along Yugi's neck, stopping at his ear. "But…I think…the drugs are…affecting my ability to give a flying fuck…"

At that whispered announcement the small teen burst out into laughter. And that was the scene that the rest of the group walked into when they returned to the house…

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

Atemu stared out at the lush green grass that covered the cemetery. How he had come to be here again, four years after the case that changed his life, he had no idea. He never liked the thought of visiting cemeteries. Even as a child the idea of willingly coming out here sent shivers down his spine. But he knew that he had something to say to a couple of people – even if they could no longer hear him.

Yugi seemed to believe that they could.

He gathered his thoughts and kneeled on the ground, thankful that he could truly see and appreciate the beautiful serenity of the place that his father had been laid to rest.

"Dad…" He whispered. "I, ah…damn, if you could just see this place. But I am here for another reason…I've come to say thank you…"

He stayed for a good twenty minutes, just talking about his life and his love. About how well Isis was doing now that she had grandchildren to dote on. And how he and Yugi had finally gotten on the list to adopt and add to the brood. He spoke of Bakura's settling down and Marik's pranks and Seto and Jou's new baby – a second adoption after the first had gone so well.

"Hey sexy, am I interrupting?" Yugi smiled as he snuck up on his lover.

"No little one, you're not interrupting at all. In fact, I was just getting ready to visit someone else and let them know how we're doing. Would you like to come with me?" Atemu extended his hand.

"I'd love to." Yugi replied.

"I love you Yugi." Atemu leaned down and pecked him on the cheek.

"Love you too."

Hand and hand they walked through the cemetery, towards the site where Yugi's grandpa was buried. They would be okay now, no matter what happened – thanks to the two men who had laid down their lives, just to give them a chance to live.

-END

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

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